HC questions legality of extra fees from SSC candidates

The High Court today questioned the legality of charging extra fees from Secondary School Certificate (SSC) candidates by the authorities concerned of Gazipur School and College in Habiganj. 

The court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government and Gazipur School and College at Chunarughat in Habiganj to explain why charging extra fees from SSC candidates should not be declared illegal.

It also ordered the chairman of Sylhet education board to submit a report to this court by January 4 next year on the steps taken against the principal of Gazipur School and College and the president and secretary of its managing committee for charging the extra fees.

File photo of candidates taking SSC exams

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the rule and order on a suomoto (voluntary) move after rejecting a writ petition filed over this issue, Assistant Attorney General Titus Hillol Rema told The Daily Star.

He said that the HC rejected the writ petition that challenged the legality of charging extra fees by Gazipur School and College as a rule issued by the same court in 2015 questioning the legality of charging extra fees at different schools across the country is still now pending.  

The HC, however, issued the suomoto rule after taking the issue into its judicial notice, AAG Titus added.

Meanwhile, Advocate Zahir Uddin Limon, who moved the writ petition filed by Jamal Uddin Khan, guardian of a student of the school, told this correspondent that authorities concerned of Gazipur School and College in Habiganj charged Tk 2,550 to 2,890 from each student for filling up the SSC forms although the government has fixed Tk 1,550 for this purpose.