Supreme Court fines Gonoshasthaya Medical, orders admission of 110 students

The Appellate Division has upheld the admission of 110 students to Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College for the 2021-22 academic year.

The exception has been made for only that year, as the court stated that Gonashasthaya Medical College can only admit a total of 60 students every year.

The medical college, which was established by Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, must also pay a fine of Tk 1 million for the admission of the 50 additional students.

A bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan delivered the verdict on Tuesday.

Since 2010, Gonoshasthaya Medical College has enrolled 110 students in its medical programme every year.

However, after its affiliation with Dhaka University in 2021, the medical college was directed to enrol no more than 50 students every academic year.

After an appeal, the college was later allowed to admit 10 more students, taking the tally of students to 60.

According to Advocate Ahsanul Karim, Dhaka University’s decision to enrol 60 instead of 110 students was challenged at the High Court.

The court issued a rule on the hearing on November 23, 2021.

Later, on June 28, 2022, a High Court bench chaired by Justice Kashefa Hussain and Justice Zinat Hoque upheld the admission of 110 students for the academic year 2021-2022.

The verdict was later challenged by Dhaka University.

However, the Supreme Court upheld the verdict announced by the High Court.

Advocate Karim added that Khulna Gonoshasthaya Hospital and Kidney Foundation have been asked to pay the fine imposed on the medical college.