Legal notice calls for cancellation of special quotas in Dhaka University admissions

A legal notice has been sent asking Dhaka University (DU) to cancel certain admission quotas for the upcoming academic year 2024-25. 

The quotas in question include those for the grandchildren of freedom fighters, the children of university teachers and staff, and athletes.

The notice was issued on Tuesday by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Solaiman Tushar and other legal experts, including Barrister Mahdi Zaman (Boni), Advocate Bayezid Hossain, and Advocate Shahid Siddiqui. 

The notice was emailed to the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, and Registrar of Dhaka University.

The legal team has given the university a deadline of five days to act. 

They demand that only the following quotas be kept in place: 5% for the children of freedom fighters and their families, 1% for indigenous people, and 1% for people with disabilities and the third gender. 

All other quotas, including those for the grandchildren of freedom fighters, children of university staff, and athletes, should be removed, according to the notice.

If the university does not act within this time frame, the legal team has said they will take further action, including filing a case in the Supreme Court.

In their notice, the lawyers argued that Dhaka University has always been a symbol of the Bengali people‍‍`s hopes and struggles for democracy and justice. 

They pointed out that university students, teachers, and staff played a major role in movements like the quota reform protests in 2024, which sought changes to the government’s quota system.

The lawyers stated that university admissions should be based solely on merit. 

They believe that any other system of admission based on personal or family connections is unfair, discriminatory, and against the principles of justice.

They also mentioned that the highest court in the country has already ruled that only 5% of government and public sector jobs should be reserved for the children of freedom fighters. 

This, they say, should apply to the DU admission process as well. 

Allowing quotas for the grandchildren of freedom fighters or the children of university staff goes against the Constitution and the Supreme Court‍‍`s ruling.

The notice also noted that while the Constitution allows special provisions for disadvantaged groups like women and children, reserving 1% of seats for the children of DU staff is unfair and unnecessary. 

There is no valid reason to justify this, they argue.

Finally, the lawyers raised concerns about the quota for athletes, claiming there have been complaints of misuse and favoritism in how this quota has been used in the past. 

They argue that athletes do not fall under the category of "backward" groups as defined by the Constitution, meaning that an athlete quota is not constitutional and goes against the Supreme Court‍‍`s ruling. 

The notice suggested that the athlete quota has created opportunities for corruption and unfair practices.

This legal challenge to the university‍‍`s admission quotas is creating a lot of attention, as it touches on issues of fairness, merit, and constitutional rights.