HC orders Viqarunnisa authorities to enroll 41 students to Class 1

Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College to immediately admit 41 students, who are the siblings or twins of other students of the institution, as first-graders.
The High Court Bench of Justice K M Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by the guardians of the admission seekers seeking necessary directives to this effect.
Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain and Advocate Shafiqur Rahman appeared in the court hearing for the writ petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Bashar represented the state.
Later Altaf Hossain said, the admission committee will take necessary steps to admit the students after scrutinising their applications if their siblings were already studying in the same institution.
The 41 students are either twins or siblings of students already enrolled at the institution, added the lawyer.
They applied for admission to class one in the 2023 academic year under the Private School, School and College (Secondary, Lower Secondary and Attached Primary Level) Students Admission Rules, 2022.
On January 16 this year, the education ministry issued a circular saying only five percent students beyond the total seats would be admitted into entry level and other classes at private institutions from the siblings or twins, the lawyer said.
The writ petitioners challenged the January 16 circular, saying the 41 children could not be admitted into Viqarunnisa Noon School and College due the conditions of the circular, which were not in place when they applied for admission.
After hearing the the petitioners, the HC stayed the effectiveness of the January 16 circular and issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the relevant provisions of the circular should not be declared illegal.