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বাংলা E-Paper 📍 Dhaka 📅 Tuesday | 15 September 2026, 31 Bhadro 1433 PID registration number 06

HEADLINE

● Class XI admission: Half of college seats may remain empty ● Quader, 6 others sentenced to death for crimes against humanity ● President reaches Sylhet ● PM meets families of Army personnel killed in tank-firing accident ● M'singh Medical fire raises questions over locked stairways; Committee formed ● Salman F Rahman leaving Beximco Pharma board ● Banned AL former MP Azizul Haque detained

Class XI admission: Half of college seats may remain empty

Published : Tuesday, 15 September, 2026 at 1:57 PM

Observer Online Report

Collected Photo

Nearly 1.48 lakh students who passed the SSC and equivalent examinations have not applied for Class XI admission, leaving more than half of the country's college seats at risk of remaining empty.

A striking contrast has emerged in the country's Class XI admission process this year. Over 25 lakh seats are available in public and private colleges nationwide. However, extreme uncertainty has arisen over filling even half of these seats.

A total of 11,43,462 students passed the SSC and equivalent exams this year out of 18,29,485 examinees, according to education board sources. Admission applications were submitted by 9,95,230 applicants. Consequently, 1,48,232 passed students did not enter the admission process at all.

The crisis is not uniform across all institutions. Reputed colleges in the capital and major cities face intense competition among high achievers. Conversely, colleges at district and upazila levels face severe shortages of applicants. For example, Barmi Degree College in Sreepur, Gazipur received applications for less than one-third of its 400 seats.

Educationists and board officials pointed out several key reasons behind this decline. Students are moving to urban centers for quality education. Many leave studies due to financial hardship to join the workforce. A large number of female students drop out due to child marriage. Irregularities in teacher recruitment and poor academic environments in rural colleges also discourage prospective students.

Prof Abu Taher Mohammad Rashedul Islam, Chairman of the Barishal Education Board, noted that lack of quality education, poverty, and child marriage remain the primary drivers of student dropouts.

Prof Dr Shamim Ara Chowdhury, Chairman of the Rajshahi Education Board, emphasized expanding technical education alongside general stream studies to curb dropout rates.

Admissions are being conducted centrally based on SSC results without entrance exams. Ninety-three per cent of seats are open to all, while seven per cent are reserved under quotas.

The first-phase result will be published on September 16 at 8:00 PM. Classes for Class XI are scheduled to start across the country on September 23.

-SA

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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