A college of 1,800 students locked for one and a half months for the convenience of 63 students

The academic activities of Magura Adarsha College, an institution serving 1,800 students across various levels including Honours, have been suspended for a period of six weeks. This closure, effective until 4 June, was implemented to facilitate the Dakhil (secondary level) examinations for a specific group of just 63 candidates. The decision has triggered widespread dissatisfaction among the college’s students and their guardians.

Background and Regional Examination Statistics

According to official data, a total of 1,704 madrasa students from four sub-districts (upazilas) of Magura district are participating in this year’s Dakhil examinations. The distribution of examination centres across the district is as follows:

Historically, the 17 madrasas in Magura Sadar upazila utilised Magura Siddiqia Kamil Madrasa as a centre, while students from seven other madrasas were assigned to the Beroil Darul Huda Fazil Madrasa. However, current regulations prohibit students from taking examinations at their own institutions. Consequently, 63 students from the Siddiqia Kamil Madrasa were required to travel to the distant Beroil centre. To mitigate the travel burden for these 63 individuals, the administration chose to establish a new centre at Magura Adarsha College, necessitating the suspension of all regular classes.

Reactions from Students and Guardians

The closure has drawn sharp criticism from the college community. Rima Biswas, a first-year Humanities student, noted that the frequency of classes was already insufficient and described the decision to shut a higher education institution for a school-level examination as “ludicrous.”

Guardians, including Abdul Alim, Oliar Rahman, and Phosiar Rahman, echoed these sentiments. Phosiar Rahman argued that while many schools are currently closed for the SSC and Dakhil period, the authorities chose to disrupt an active college instead of utilising vacant school premises. Another guardian, Oliar Rahman, expressed frustration with the college management, suggesting that while there is often competition for leadership positions within the governing body, there is a lack of concern regarding the institution’s academic continuity.

Administrative Explanations

The decision-making process has come under scrutiny. Alamgir Hossain, a member of the Magura Adarsha College Governing Committee, stated that he was unaware of any formal decision regarding the centre’s establishment and was not informed of the closure.

Principal Md. Obaidullah of Magura Siddiqia Kamil Madrasa, who is serving as the Secretary for the Magura Adarsha College centre, clarified the figures. He stated that a total of 375 students are sitting for examinations at this specific centre, though only 63 of them are from his institution. He further noted that the names of four potential venues, including two closed schools, were submitted to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) for consideration, and Adarsha College was ultimately selected.

Official Response

Efforts to reach the Deputy Commissioner of Magura, Abdullah Al Mamun, were unsuccessful as he was reportedly engaged in online meetings. However, Additional Deputy Commissioner Abdul Kader stated that the decision was finalised during a preparatory meeting attended by college faculty.

In contrast, Kabiar Rahman, the Principal of Magura Adarsha College, highlighted the complexity of the situation. He noted that the Deputy Commissioner serves as the President of the College Governing Committee. Despite objections from teachers and parents regarding the disruption of classes, the Deputy Commissioner deemed the college the “better option” for the examination centre.