Online Desk: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today upheld the High Court orders that directed authorities concerned of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College to immediately admit 56 siblings of existing students as first-graders. A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique dismissed four separate petitions filed by Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, seeking a stay on the HC orders.

The two other judges of the bench are Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim. Writ petitioners’ lawyer ABM Altaf Hossain told The Daily Star that the authorities concerned of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College must admit the 56 siblings into the institution following the apex court orders. Additional Attorney General Sk Md Morshed appeared for Viqarunnisa during the hearing of the petitions.

Earlier on different days this year, the High Court, following separate writ petitions, stayed the effectiveness of an education ministry circular and directed authorities concerned of the institution to immediately admit 56 students in class one. On January 16 this year, the education ministry issued the circular, saying only five percent students beyond the total seats will be admitted to the entry level and other classes at private institutions, lawyer Altaf said.

The writ petitioners challenged the January 16 circular, saying the 56 children could not be admitted to Viqarunnisa school due the conditions of the circular, which were not in place when they applied for admission. The HC stayed the effectiveness of the January 16 circular and issued rules asking the government to explain why the relevant provisions of the circular should not be declared illegal.