SUST Admission Misstep Leaves 95 Students in Limbo
A serious communication blunder by the admission committee of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has caused distress to 95 undergraduate applicants for the 2024–25 academic session. The confusion stems from a mistaken call for admission issued to a batch of science-track students from the ‘B’ unit, which was abruptly revoked the night before the admission date.
According to reports, the university’s admission committee had called applicants ranked 401 to 495 in the science stream of the 'B' unit to attend the third phase of the admission process scheduled for June 22. The announcement was made via SMS and the university website, prompting students to make preparations, including canceling other university admissions and booking travel tickets to Sylhet.
However, late Friday night (June 20), the university website declared that the call had been issued “mistakenly.” A revised notification stated that students ranked 581 to 650 in the humanities stream of the same unit were the actual candidates for this round.
The eleventh-hour change has triggered widespread frustration. Many of the affected students had already canceled confirmed admissions to other universities and made travel arrangements. “When we are expected to book tickets in advance, why was the change announced just a day before?” questioned one applicant.
Another student, requesting anonymity, said, “I received the third call under the science stream a week ago, but now they say it was an error. Why did it take five days to correct? Around 10–12 of us canceled admissions to other universities to attend SUST. Who will take responsibility now?”
Students also reported difficulties in contacting the admission committee for clarification. “Each official kept redirecting us to someone else,” a student alleged.
The incident has sparked outrage across social media, drawing condemnation from current and former students of the university. Many have called for compensation and a reinstatement of admission offers at other universities for those affected.
In response, Professor Dr. Badiuzzaman Faruq, Convener of the SUST Admission Committee, admitted the mistake. Echoing his statement, Member Secretary Professor Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam stated, “The message was sent to science-track students by mistake instead of humanities.”
Addressing the students’ concerns, the committee assured that remedial steps would be taken. “After the cluster admission process concludes, many seats will likely remain vacant. A fourth call will be made, and the students who mistakenly received the third call will be given priority since they fall within the subsequent merit range,” Professor Rafiqul Islam added.
