Students of Rajuk Uttara Model School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara area staged a protest on Wednesday, demanding the abolition of the current admission lottery system—introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic—and the reinstatement of entrance examinations.
The students demonstrated in front of the institution in Uttara, Sector 6, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM today (Wednesday, October 29).
Core Demand: Merit Over ‘Gambling’
The protesting students chanted various slogans, including:
• “Is it education or gambling? Education, education!”
• “Stop the gambling, start the exam!”
• “Our demands must be met!”
The students explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education and the Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board introduced a lottery system for admission into various school-level classes, which was subsequently adopted by Rajuk Uttara Model School and College for their Class VI admissions.
“The Best Students are Being Deprived”
The students strongly argue that with the pandemic effectively over, the continued use of the lottery system is unjust. They said, “The Covid-19 pandemic is no longer here. Yet, the lottery system, which was introduced during that time, is still in place. As a result, meritorious students are being deprived of admission. We strongly demand the cancellation of the lottery and the reinstatement of the admission examination process.”
Abu Bakar Siddik Ayman, a Class XII student at the college and a participant in the movement, told Ajker Patrika, “We are protesting to abolish the lottery method and bring back the admission test. Our educational institution agrees with us, but our demand is directed towards the Ministry of Education and the Education Board.”
Ayman added a clear ultimatum: “We will wait until Sunday for the Ministry of Education and the Education Board to cancel the old directive and issue a new one. Otherwise, we will begin a new program by boycotting classes starting Sunday.”
The student protest temporarily halted traffic on the road in front of Rajuk College. Local police and intelligence personnel were deployed to the area to prevent any untoward incidents.
