It is a shame that new academic sessions of colleges seem destined to be delayed, if not thrown off-gear altogether. The apprehensions arise from the fact that the software that the BUET team used may not have been 'appropriate' for maintaining a huge amount of data. Besides the magnitude of the task, the variety of students' choices made the process complicated demanding well-tested software. It appears that the challenging aspects of the undertaking were not properly thought through. In fact, the software was adopted without even a trial run, which, if it is true, reflects the height of professional irresponsibility.

Where it should have been problem-solving, it is being problem-generating. But going online means efficient, fail-safe and speedy delivery of services. It also helps curb corruption and malpractice. Such inherent strengths of digitalisation cannot be allowed to be frittered away through operational lapses. 

The 1.1 million HSC passed students waiting with great anxiety to see the outcome of their applications have only been informed of revised timings for publication of the lists of successful applicants. The educational authority was struggling to place the 'first merit list' on the website at the time of writing this column but the academic sessions begin on July 1. Surely other merit lists are to follow, to say nothing of placing a large majority of students who couldn't make the high grades. Thus, the educational board and the BUET must unfailingly coordinate to speed up the process of placements.