Staff Reporter:
The introduction of an automated admission system has created chaos in private medical colleges across Bangladesh.
Students are being denied admission to their preferred colleges, leaving many discouraged from pursuing medical studies. Parents and the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) allege that the system is part of a conspiracy to ruin the private medical sector, as hundreds of seats now remain vacant something that never happened before automation.
Since 2022-23, medical college admissions both public and private have been handled automatically through merit lists. Students no longer freely choose their colleges; initially five options were allowed, later raised to 60-66, but still restricted. Seats are allocated by algorithm, often sending Dhaka-based students to remote colleges and rural students to expensive city colleges. Many reject the placements, leaving 467 private college seats empty in 2024-25.
Out of 131,729 applicants this year, 60,095 passed (pass rate 45.62percent). While 5,380 seats in 37 public colleges were filled, 6,295 seats in 67 private colleges were not. Even free quotas for poor but meritorious students remain unfilled due to lack of choice. The long admission process also adds uncertainty.
Foreign students, once a reliable source of revenue, are also losing interest as automation prevents them from choosing institutions. Previously, up to 45percent of foreign student quotas were filled, but that has sharply declined since 2023-24.
Parents argue that automation may suit public colleges, but not private ones where students pay and should have the right to choose. One parent said his daughter, though eligible, lost motivation when placed in a remote college instead of her preferred Dhaka institution, “her dream of becoming a doctor ended there.”
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abdus Sabur of BPMCA said the system is burdensome, unpopular among students, parents, and even doctors, and risks destroying the private medical sector. Many talented students are instead going abroad. He suggested returning to the earlier admission process for the benefit of all stakeholders.
