Attend classes regularly to avoid fine: VC

Dhaka University (DU) students yesterday protested the university authority's decision to impose a fine of Tk 5,000 on the students who have less than 75 percent class attendance in a semester for attending the final examination.
At a rally at the base of Aparajeyo Bangla, they termed the fine excessive and demanded to rationalise its amount considering the students' economic condition.
On August 7, DU academic council decided that if a student fails to attend less than 75 percent classes in a six-month long semester, he or she will have to pay Tk 5,000 as a fine for taking the final exams.
If a student fails to attend the classes less than 60 percent in a semester, the student will be barred from sitting for exams for that particular term.
Hundreds of DU students are forced to take part-time jobs in coaching centers, call centers and shopping malls to meet their educational expenses and support their lives, the students said adding, thus it is impossible to achieve 75 percent attendance or pay the fine if they fail this requisite.
"Being a member of lower middle class family, I have no other way but to do a part-time job. It is indeed impossible to attend over 75 percent classes if I do a job," Atikur Rahman, a student of DU.
"The decision of disallowing students at the final exams due to less attendance will destroy normal flow of their education life," he said.
Contacted, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique said there is no rule of joining part-time jobs for DU's undergraduate students, but they often overlook the matter for the students' welfare.
"If a student attends the classes regularly, he or she need not pay any fine," he said adding that DU academic council decided to impose the fine in a bid to improve education quality.