HC stays mark deduction

The High Court yesterday stayed a government decision to deduct five marks from total marks of examinees taking the MBBS admission test for the second time.

The court also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why the decision should not be declared illegal.

The health secretary, director general of the directorate of health services, its director (public health), chairman of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council and vice-chancellor of Dhaka University have been made respondents to the rule.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Jahangir Hossain issued the order and rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Advocate Eunus Ali Akond.

Advocate Eunus told The Daily Star that following the HC stay order, second time medical admission seekers will take MBBS admission test this year under the previous rules and therefore, their marks will not be deducted.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who opposed the writ petition, told this correspondent that the health ministry will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking stay on the HC order.

During hearing, he argued before the HC that the government decided to deduct marks from total marks of the second time admission seekers in order to brining an equality of knowledge, as second time admission seekers get more knowledge than the first timers by learning from the coaching centres in previous year.

Earlier on Monday, Advocate Eunus placed his arguments saying that the government's decision to deduct marks is discriminatory and contradictory to the national education policy.

On August 28, he submitted the petition saying that the government, reportedly on August 20, has decided to deduct five marks from total marks of the second time MBBS admission seekers, which has violated the constitutional provision of equality and equal opportunity of the candidates.