Medical Admission Test: Students Demand Abolition of Quota System and Re-publication of Results

Students Protest Against Medical Admission Test Quotas, Demand Result Revision

Students from several institutions, including Dhaka Medical College, alongside university students, staged protests at the Central Shaheed Minar on Monday. They called for the cancellation of the MBBS admission test results published on Sunday, demanded the elimination of the quota system, and urged the authorities to republish the results.

The demonstrators began gathering at the Shaheed Minar in Dhaka early in the morning, following an announcement made the previous night. A rally was held around 11:30 am, and the protest concluded at noon. Later, a delegation of students submitted a memorandum to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus at around 3:00 pm, pressing for the cancellation and revision of the admission test results by 8:00 pm.

During the rally, the students expressed their opposition to the quota system, particularly the freedom fighter and ward quotas, calling for their immediate abolition. They argued that such quotas result in discrimination and undermine meritocracy.

Ferdous Ahmed Tanim, a protesting student, stated, "Many underqualified candidates secured admission due to the quota system, with some gaining entry to prestigious institutions like Dhaka Medical College. Their admissions must be cancelled immediately. Our protests aim to ensure that such quotas are abolished permanently."

He further questioned the need for renewed demonstrations despite previous movements against the quota system.

Associate Professor Idris Ali of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) expressed solidarity with the students. He remarked, "How is it fair that a candidate scoring 73 is denied admission, while another with 36 or 37 secures a seat due to the freedom fighter quota? This form of discrimination is unacceptable in a modern Bangladesh."

Abir Hossain, a student at Sir Salimullah Medical College, criticized the inclusion of quotas for grandchildren of freedom fighters. He argued that candidates scoring 30-35 marks below the cut-off were admitted under these quotas, which he deemed unjustifiable. He reiterated the demand for the abolition of all quotas and the immediate republication of the results.

Former Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) coordinator Mahin Sarkar also joined the protest, stating, "The irrational and discriminatory quota system persists despite previous mass uprisings. Many students scoring as low as 42 marks are admitted, while others with 72 marks are denied entry. This must end."

On Sunday night, Dhaka Medical College students had already demonstrated with similar demands at the Shaheed Minar. The protest was later joined by students from Dhaka University and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

The MBBS admission test results for the 2024-25 academic session were published on Sunday, showing a pass rate of 45.62%. Of the 60,095 candidates who passed, 5,372 were initially selected for 37 government medical colleges across the country.