Reform quota system in academic admissions

This opinion article from The Daily Star (Bangladesh), authored by two research associates at the Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management, argues that Bangladesh's university admission quota system is deeply flawed and in urgent need of reform. The authors highlight recent student protests at Jahangirnagar University and Rajshahi University that successfully pressured administrators to abolish specific quotas, such as heir quotas and vice-chancellor quotas, as evidence of growing public frustration. A particularly striking example cited is the 2024-25 MBBS admissions, where 70% of freedom fighter quota recipients were admitted without meeting standard merit criteria. The article's central proposal is replacing the current rigid, fixed-percentage quota system with a flexible, data-driven model that uses real-time demographic data, machine learning, and predictive analytics to dynamically allocate reserved seats based on actual eligible applicants. The authors also call for stronger eligibility verification through centralized registries and greater transparency through annual public reporting.

View original source ↗

Attribution

The Daily Star

Publisher

The Daily Star

Rights

Rights retained by the original publisher. Archived as a preservation copy for public research, with attribution and a link to the original.

Persistent ID

ark:/19160/sf4yhjo7ddjdozhq4fzsjtzmliu

Free to use with due credit — please cite the attribution above.