Md Aman Ullah, BAU

In an effort to streamline the admissions process for students, the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) was the first agricultural university to introduce a cluster entrance exam method in 2019.

However, after five admission cycles, this system is perceived by teachers and students as having more disadvantages than advantages. BAU’s unique identity is perceived to be at risk, prompting calls on social media and other platforms for a return to the university’s individual admission process. The Dean Council at BAU has reportedly decided to exit the cluster system, according to Professor Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani, the convener of the Dean Council.

Prof Dr. Md. Asaduzzaman Sarkar, General Secretary of the BAU Teachers' Association, stated, “Personally, I oppose the cluster admission system. We must withdraw from it. This system compromises our university's standards and unique identity. We wish to select talented students based on our standards, which is not feasible with the current cluster approach.”

Prof Dr. Parvez Anwar from the Agronomy Department echoed similar concerns, advocating for BAU’s independent admission exam. He remarked, “Our admission process has always been transparent and distinctive. We only observe government quotas for freedom fighters and indigenous students; we never accepted any other quotas.

Prof Dr. Md. Golzar Hossain of the Microbiology and Hygiene Department highlighted that each university should have its own admission responsibility, as their goals and purposes differ. “I don’t support selecting students for all universities from a single merit list.

BAU graduate student Bokul Ali from the Horticulture Department added, “By participating in the cluster system, BAU is losing its distinctiveness. Our standalone admission tests never faced irregularities, but cluster exams have been plagued by issues at other centers.

Mohammad Omar Faruq, a fifth-year student in the Veterinary Faculty, cited session jams caused by the cluster system, stating, “Cluster exams are held later than others, leading to delays. Although the cluster system was meant to ease commuting issues, it hasn’t yielded significant benefits.”

Sadya Jahan Khuki, a first-year student in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, expressed that the lack of a specialized question framework in the cluster system reduces opportunities to assess talent accurately.

Prof Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani, Xonvener of Dean Council , commented, “Our council has decided to exit the agricultural cluster system. Like other institutions, such as Dhaka University, we used to conduct independent admission exams, which were more convenient for us.