BLAST, with Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Naripokkho, filed a writ petition based on a newspaper report and its own investigations, revealing that in April 2007 the Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Rajshahi had refused to issue an admit card to a young woman in Thakurgaon for not filling up the entry for ‘father’s name’ in the Student’s Information Form (S.I.F.) required prior to sitting for S.S.C. examinations. The young woman had been brought up by her mother alone after her father failed to provide for or recognize either her or her mother. The young woman concerned had never had to refer to his name and refused to do so on the S.I.F.
The High Court Division directed the Ministry of Education to submit a report on which Education Boards required candidates for S.S.C. and H.S.C. examination to complete mandatory fields for both father and mother’s name in the Student Information Form (S.I.F.). It issued a Rule Nisi on the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Establishment, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education and the Education Boards to show cause as to why such a requirement should not be held to be arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional, being in violation of the fundamental rights to equality, to be treated in accordance with law and the right to access to education.
Mr. Justice Syed Refaat
Ahmed
Mr. Justice Moinul
Islam
Chowdhury
Constitution, Articles 44 and 102;
The Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance, 1961 (Ordinance No. XXXIII of 1961)
BLAST, with Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Naripokkho, filed a writ petition based on a newspaper report and its own investigations, revealing that in April 2007 the Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Rajshahi had refused to issue an admit card to a young woman in Thakurgaon for not filling up the entry for ‘father’s name’ in the Student’s Information Form (S.I.F.) required prior to sitting for S.S.C. examinations. The young woman had been brought up by her mother alone after her father failed to provide for or recognize either her or her mother. The young woman concerned had never had to refer to his name and refused to do so on the S.I.F.
The High Court Division directed the Ministry of Education to submit a report on which Education Boards required candidates for S.S.C. and H.S.C. examination to complete mandatory fields for both father and mother’s name in the Student Information Form (S.I.F.). It issued a Rule Nisi on the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Establishment, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education and the Education Boards to show cause as to why such a requirement should not be held to be arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional, being in violation of the fundamental rights to equality, to be treated in accordance with law and the right to access to education.
Mr. Justice Syed Refaat , Ahmed,
, Mr. Justice Moinul , Islam , Chowdhury
Constitution, Articles 44 and 102;
The Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance, 1961 (Ordinance No. XXXIII of 1961)