Dhaka: The High Court on Monday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the imposition of 7.5 Value Added Tax (VAT) on the tuition fees of private universities and medical colleges wound not be declared illegal.

An HC bench, comprising Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice J N Dev Chowdhury, passed the order upon a hearing on a writ petition.

Four private university students field the writ petition challenging the legality of the notification of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) imposing the new VAT.

The Finance Secretary, the Education Secretary, the University Grants Commission Chairman and other concerned have been asked to respond to the rule within three weeks.

Barrister Nazmul Huda stood for the petitioners.

On 4 July, the NBR issued a notification imposing 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of private universities and medical colleges.

Earlier, on 9 August, another bench of the High Court issued same kind of rule after hearing on a writ petition filed by two students and a teacher of Daffodil University challenging the VAT imposition.