Dhaka: The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why separate (English) question papers would not be provided to students from English medium institutions in public university admission tests.

An HC bench comprising Justice Quamrul Islam Siddique and Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif passed the order following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Atiqur Rahman.

The court asked the public university authorities to explain why the English medium students (‘A’ level and ‘O’ level) should not be given equal rights in taking part in the admission tests.

The UGC Chairman, Education Secretary, Health Secretary, Vice-Chancellors of Dhaka University and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and Dhaka Medical College Principal have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

Barrister Reza M Sadekin argued for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Mokhlesur Rahman represented the state.  

Talking to reporters, Sadekin said public universities, including Dhaka University and Buet, take their admission tests through Bangla question papers for which admission seekers from English medium institutions face problems. “We think, the authorities should take the tests through Bangla as well as English question papers.”