Staff Reporter :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday fined Southeast University Tk 10 lakh for violating a provision of University Grants Commission (UGC) in admitting students in the Law department.
As per the UGC provision, a private university can’t admit more than 50 students in LLB program in one semester. But 11 private universities, including the Southeast University, violated the provision.
The university authority has been asked to deposit the amount in the account of Bangladesh Bar Council, the licensing and regularitybody for all advocates of Bangladesh.
After showing the deposit slip in the Bar Council, the 86 students of the university will be allowed to appear in the Bar Council test scheduled to be held on February 28 this year, said the court.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after disposing of a review petition filed by Bar Council.
Earlier on Wednesday the apex court fined City University Tk 10 lakh for the same reason.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Board of Trustees of the university Md Rezaul Karim and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AFM Mafizul Islam appeared in the court complying with the court’s earlier order to explain their role.
Advocate AY Moshiuzzaman and advocate SM Kafil Uddin appeared in the court on behalf of Bangladesh Bar Council, while advocate Ashiq Al Jalil appeared for the students.
The University Grants Commission on April 23 in 2014 issued a circular saying that the private universities of the country won’t admit more than 50 students in LLB program in one semester.
Recently the Bangladesh Bar Council announced that they would not issue the registration cards for appearing in the bar council test to the law graduates of those universities, which violated the UGC and Bar Council condition.
In this circumstance, the 86 victim students of the university filed a writ petition with the High Court to get registration cards for Bar Council test. After hearing, the High Court directed to Bar Council to give opportunity to the students to appear in the Bar Council test.
But Bar Council appealed against the High Court order and after hearing the appellate division summoned the Chairman of Board of Trustees and the Vice-Chancellor of the university. Complying with the court’s order, they appeared in the court on Thursday and acknowledged their mistakes.
Meanwhile, the court summoned the Vice-Chancellors of Chattogram Islamic University and Sylhet Metropolitan University for the same reason to appear on Sunday.
