DU to retake entry test for Business Studies unit

The High Court has approved the University of Dhaka’s (DU) request to retake the MCQ (multiple-choice) part of this year’s admission test for the Business Studies unit. As a result, the university will now conduct a fresh MCQ exam for this unit.

This decision was given by a High Court bench of Justice Razik Al Jalil and Justice Tamanna Rahman Khalidi on Sunday (April 13).

Professor Dr. Mahmud Osman Imam, Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, confirmed the matter to the media.

He said, "We will only allow those students who took part in the original Business Studies admission test to sit for the retake. We will announce the date with sufficient notice so students have enough time to prepare. Preparations have already begun. Once we receive the official copy of the court order, we will announce the exam date."

The original admission test was held on February 8. However, inconsistencies were found in 12 questions in the MCQ section across different question sets. The university administration failed to come up with a solution. On April 20, when the university attempted to publish the results, a group of candidates filed a writ petition with the High Court. The court then issued a two-month stay order on publishing the results.

Lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir represented Dhaka University in court.

He said, "There were issues with the Business Studies unit admission questions. One student filed a writ petition with the High Court on his own, without a lawyer. During the hearing, experts from BUET and Dhaka University presented their views. It was found that some errors did exist."

"Later, the university authorities told the court that they wanted to retake only the MCQ portion of the test. After hearing both sides, including the students, the court approved the request. Since the students' demand for a new exam is being fulfilled, they withdrew their petition. The court has now ordered the university to hold a fresh exam. Hopefully, it will be held within a month," he added.