The Ministry of Education today published an admission policy for non-government schools at the secondary, lower secondary, and attached primary levels.

Student selection and admission in these schools for the 2025 academic year, slated to begin on January 1 and conclude on December 31, will be conducted through a digital lottery system.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division issued the policy, specifying that students may be admitted to entry-level classes till ninth-grade, depending on seat availability, with a maximum of 55 students allowed per section.

In Dhaka-based MPO-affiliated institutions, the maximum admission fee is capped at Tk 5,000, while partially MPO-affiliated institutions may charge up to Tk 8,000, and English-version schools are permitted to charge up to Tk 10,000. Development fees in Dhaka-based institutions are limited to Tk 3,000.

Meanwhile, some 40 percent seats in non-government schools within Dhaka metropolitan areas will be reserved for students residing in respective localities, while five percent seats will be allocated under the freedom fighter quota.

As per the National Education Policy 2010, children aged 6 and older are eligible for admission. However, eligible students must be between 5 and 7 years old as of January 1 and December 31 of the entry year, and their ages must be verified through an attested copy of their online birth certificate, submitted with the admission application.

For students with special needs, age requirement may be relaxed for up to five years, according to the policy.

The digital lottery process for admission will be conducted centrally by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division will set the digital lottery's date, time, and application fees.