SC fines 2 private univs Tk 20 lakh
The Supreme Court yesterday fined two private universities Tk 20 lakh for admitting students beyond the approval of Bangladesh Bar Council and University Grants Commission (UGC).
Stamford University and Dhaka International University, which admitted the students to their law faculties, have been ordered to give Tk 10 lakh each to the Liver Transplant Unit of Birdem General Hospital within 15 days.
The apex court, however, upheld the High Court order that directed Bangladesh Bar Council, a statutory body regulating the country’s lawyers, to allow the candidates who graduated from the two universities to fill up forms and to give them registration cards so that they can appear for the enrolment test.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after hearing two separate petitions filed by Bangladesh Bar Council challenging the HC directives.
Advocate AY Moshiuzzaman appeared for the Bar Council while Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud and Advocate AM Aminuddin argued for students of Dhaka International University and Stamford University respectively.
Court sources said the UGC on April 23, 2014 issued a directive saying that the private universities cannot admit more than 50 students in the law faculties per semester.
The Bar Council on October 1 this year issued a notification saying that it will not issue registration cards beyond 50 candidates [LLB Honours], who graduate from the private universities per semester.
Earlier, the Bar Council decided not to give registration cards to the candidates who graduated from 11 private universities, for violating UGC’s directive. Around 2,000 students of the private universities -- including Stamford and Dhaka International University -- filed writ petitions with the HC challenging the Bar Council decision.
Following the petitions, the HC at different times directed the Bar Council to allow petitioners to fill up their forms, and to give them registration cards so they can appear for the enrolment test under the body.
The Bar Council filed two separate petitions with the SC challenging the HC directives.
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