Results spark outrage

Rejecting the admission results of medical and dental colleges amid allegation of question paper leak, students demonstrated at different parts of the country yesterday demanding fresh tests.

Admission seekers through human chains and press conferences in Dhaka and outside voiced their protests as State Minister for Health Zahid Maleque announced the results that show a pass rate of 58.4 percent.

In the afternoon, the candidates from a protest rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club announced they would lay siege to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) at 11:00am today.

The alleged leak also triggered firestorm of criticism in the social media.

A Supreme Court lawyer yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directive on the government to cancel the medical entrance test and hold a fresh exam.

The petitioner, Eunus Ali Akond, also prayed to the court to order a judicial inquiry into the allegation and action against the director general of the DGHS and the director concerned.

Akond said he collected a copy of a leaked question paper which is "identical" to the actual one.

Around 83,000 students took the admission test on Friday against 11,049 seats in MBBS and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) courses in 39 public medical and dental colleges and 98 private medical and dental colleges. A total of 48,448 students passed the test.

When the media briefing of State Minister Zahid began around 1:00pm, students already had taken to the streets and started agitations in Dhaka, Rangpur, Bogra, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barisal, Mymensingh, Dinajpur and Sylhet.

In the capital, the aspirants under the banner of "All Medical Admission Seekers" formed human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club till afternoon from 10:00am.

Later, they held a press conference and formed a committee to spearhead their movement for a fresh admission test.

"The questions were leaked the night before the medical test. Many of our friends got the questions through Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber and other social media on that night," claimed Tanvir Hasan, joint convener of the committee. 

"We want a fresh test and cancellation of the previous one. Otherwise, we would launch a tougher movement," he said at the conference, held at the press club. 

A number of guardians of the admission seekers and current students of a few medical colleges joined the human chain and demanded exemplary punishment to those responsible for the alleged leak.

"We studied hard for medical admission as it was my dream. But my dream was shattered due to the question leak," said Ayesha Siddiqa, one of the candidates.

Shafi, a doctor of Sir Salimullah Medical College, also participated in the demonstration.

"My younger sister studied for so long at a stretch that we often had to ask her to take some rest. But she was frustrated after knowing about the leak," he said. The girl couldn't pass the test.

According to the officials of DGHS, the highest mark in the test was 94.75 while the cut-off mark was 77.40. Many demonstrating students and their parents expressed surprise at this. Last time, the cut-off mark was 57, they said.

"My son got 66 marks, yet he could not make it. The only reason for this is question leakage," said Sheela Adhikary.

Nipun Sikdar, a medical student of Sir Salimullah Medical College, participated in the demonstration along with other students at the press club.

He said, "We don't want those students who are admitted though cheating."

In Rangpur and Bogra, the admission seekers from human chains said many meritorious students were deprived due to the question leak.

UGC PROBE

The University Grants Commission yesterday formed a four-member committee to investigate the allegations brought against one of its officials of leaking question papers.

The official, Omar Siraj, assistant director of Private University Division, was suspended after he was arrested from the UGC office on Friday.

Headed by UGC Member Prof Abul Hashem, the committee was asked to submit its report in seven days.

Meanwhile, BNP leaders yesterday through a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office demanded cancellation of the test results.

It was a fake exam as the question papers were leaked, said BNP Spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon.

"Our party demands fresh admission tests," he said and slammed the government for publishing the test results instead of identifying those involved in the scam.