The High Court on Sunday rejected a writ petition challenging the government's decision to reintroduce admission tests in educational institutions across the country for the 2027 academic year.

The HC bench of Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order.

Talking to the media, petitioner’s lawyer Md Zahid Talukdar said the court observed that both the lottery and examination systems had their pros and cons.

The court noted that admission tests provide an opportunity for meritorious students to secure places in schools. As the admission system is a matter of government policy, the court declined to interfere and dismissed the writ petition.

Zahid Talukdar said a decision on whether to appeal would be taken after reviewing the written order of the High Court.

On October 7, Minhaj Uddin Ahmed, executive director of the Movement for Human Rights and Good Governance Foundation, filed the writ petition challenging the government's decision to scrap the lottery-based admission system and reintroduce admission tests.

The respondents included the secretaries of the Ministries of Education and Primary and Mass Education, the Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, and the relevant deputy secretary of the directorate.

In 2021, the government introduced a digital lottery system for admission to classes I to IX in government schools, replacing the previous admission test system.

However, the BNP-led government later decided to abolish the lottery system and reintroduce admission tests. Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon announced the decision at a press conference on March 16.

On the same day, the Ministry of Education issued a notification scrapping the lottery-based admission system. A subsequent revised notification said admission tests would be held for classes II to IX, while the lottery system would be retained only for class I.

The writ petition argued that replacing the lottery system with admission tests would put additional mental pressure on children. It also said the move could increase dependence on coaching centres and private tuition, further commercialising education.

Lawyer Zahid Talukdar said the reintroduction of admission tests would favour children from affluent families who could afford coaching and private tutors, while children from poorer families would struggle to meet the additional costs.

This, he said, could widen social and economic inequalities in access to educational opportunities.