Money matters!

Even a few years back, Rajshahi University (RU) used to conduct the first-year admission tests in a day or two.

Apart from the university, most colleges and schools in Rajshahi city were turned into admission test centres then.

But the same admission tests have been being taken in a number of days recently. This year also, the tests are being held in five days starting on Sunday. Allegations run rife that the university authorities have made the arrangement only to gain financial benefits.        

If the tests take place in other centres outside the university, the authorities have to pay outside invigilators too, said some university teachers and officials. 

To stem the flow of money out of the university, RU has made the arrangement so that only teachers, officials and staff can take part in the invigilation activities. And to ensure that, nine faculties of the university have been divided into eleven separate units and some of the units into two to three shifts to accommodate all the tests inside the campus. 

A teacher, seeking anonymity, said the authorities are taking 23 tests beginning from 8:30am to 5:30pm in the five days dividing some of the units into different shifts. As a unit is divided into different shifts, admission test is also being taken with different question papers, he said, alleging that the quality of the evaluation process is under question.    

“The shifts were created to increase the number of tests. The increased number of tests creates a scope of getting more money,” he added.

Ahmed Shafi Uddin, Rajshahi divisional president of Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), said, “The step to avoid colleges and schools was nothing but to increase the shares of money among the university staff."

Some teachers and officials, wishing to be anonymous, also said the university has been practising this for the last few years aiming to be benefited "financially".    

As the admission tests have been dragging on since Sunday, many of the seekers, who are currently staying in Rajshahi, are the worst sufferers. Many of them complained that they are facing acute accommodation and transportation crises. 

An applicant, Tania Rahman, said she purchased admission forms of seven units paying around Tk 4,000 whereas she paid less than the amount for buying forms of Dhaka University. 

At the same time, some quarters are cashing in on the helplessness of the applicants

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