A total of 15,270 SSC examinees passed this year from schools under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Sylhet while 136 colleges in Sylhet division have 43,200 seats, sources said.

This will keep 27,930 seats vacant in the colleges this year, they said.

Officials of Sylhet education board and teachers said most colleges, will face a 'great crisis' during 2007-08 academic session. Especially, colleges in rural areas will be the worst sufferers.

Four reputed colleges in Sylhet city have a total of 1900 seats. A good number of students with better results will be absorbed in the four colleges.

This year, 713 SSC examinees got GPA-5 and another 2411 got Grade- A. Most of them will be interested for admission to the four colleges at the divisional headquarters, teachers said.

It will cause a great blow to the rest 132 colleges, which will vie for 100 students each, putting their existence at risk, some teachers of non-government colleges told this correspondent.

Board sources said there are 136 government and non government colleges in the division. They include 60 in Sylhet, 19 in Habiganj, 28 in Moulvibazar and 29 in Sunamganj districts.

The 60 colleges in Sylhet have a total of 20,850 seats in Science, Arts and Business Studies faculties.

In Sunamganj, 28 colleges have 8700 seats while the number is

10,050 in 29 colleges in Moulvibazar and 7,050 in 19 colleges in Habiganj.

Due to shortage of students, most of the seats in these colleges will remain unfulfilled.

The colleges in four districts in the division have a total of 20,400 seats in Science group but only 5566 students passed in the group this year. So, 14,834 seats will remain vacant.

In Arts group, there are 14,400 seats colleges in the four districts while only 8463 examinees passed in the group. A total of 5937 seats will remain vacant in Arts group in the colleges.

In Business studies group, there are 11,805 seats, while the number of successful students is 1241. There is possibility of 10 564 seats remaining vacant.

Four reputed colleges for Science students--MC College, Sylhet Government College, Sylhet Government Mohila College and Madan Mohan College--will enroll 1250 students, leaving each of the rest 132 colleges vying for only 33 students on an average.

In Arts group, each of the 136 colleges will get only 63 students.

In 2006-07 academic session, nine colleges in Sylhet did not get any student.

With start of admission, most eligible students are going the good colleges.

MC College has 300 seats, Sylhet Government College 800, Government Mohila College 600 and Commerce College has only 200 seats.