Fee Frustration: Students Protest 'Excessive' Admission Charge at SUST
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has announced that each newly admitted undergraduate student must pay an admission fee of BDT 17,000, prompting strong criticism from prospective students and student organizations who have labelled the fee as “unreasonably high.”
The university administration published an official admission notice on Wednesday, April 9, via its website, stating that the admission process for the 2024–25 academic session will commence on April 15. As per the notice, students must be physically present with original academic transcripts, a certified blood group document, and the BDT 17,000 admission fee to confirm their subject allocation.
Shortly after the announcement, various student bodies, including the SUST branches of the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (BNP’s student wing) and Islami Chhatra Shibir, issued statements condemning the fee structure.
In a press release, Chhatra Dal said:
“We observe that the admission fee for the 2024–25 session is excessively high and beyond the means of many general students. Shahjalal University Chhatra Dal strongly opposes and protests this unreasonable fee and demands its immediate reduction.”
Similarly, Chhatra Shibir expressed dissatisfaction with the minimal reduction in fees compared to last year’s cluster system, stating that the current rate is still “more than double the pre-cluster era fee and unaffordable for most students.”
Shibir leaders Tarek Monowar and Masud Rana Tuhin said in a joint statement:
“Public universities are meant to facilitate access to higher education. However, such unjustified fees will only make education less accessible. We have previously submitted a 52-point memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor, urging fee reform. We now reiterate our demand for a rational and affordable admission fee.”
In response to the backlash, Professor Dr. Rafiqul Islam, member secretary of the university’s admission committee, defended the decision, stating:
“The fee was set based on rising inflation, increased costs of admission logistics, and the fact that entrance exams were conducted in divisional cities.”
Meanwhile, discontent has been growing among current students as well. Many have criticized the fee on social media and warned of protests, including laying siege to the registrar building and halting the admission process, unless the administration revises the fee downward.
As the university prepares to welcome a new batch of students, it remains to be seen whether the administration will yield to the mounting pressure and review the admission charges.
