Dhaka — December 23, 2023:
Dhaka University has clarified that applicants who “voluntarily change gender” will not be eligible for admission under the undergraduate “transgender/hijra” quota. The vice chancellor said the quota remains in place as announced, but will apply only to those it is intended to benefit.
The statement came two days after a right-wing Islamist student group held a human chain on campus demanding removal of the word “transgender” from the quota. University officials framed Friday’s clarification as addressing confusion over wording rather than rolling back the quota itself.
Introduced for the 2022–23 intake, the “transgender/hijra” quota was designed to improve access to higher education for a marginalized community; it also appeared in the 2023–24 admission notice. Friday’s remarks emphasized that the provision does not extend to applicants asserting eligibility on the basis of elective gender transition.
“Voluntary gender changers will not get admission under the ‘transgender’ quota,” the DU vice chancellor said, noting that the quota “will remain as it is.”
As of publication, no additional procedural changes were announced; the university indicated that applicants should follow the terms set out in the current admission circular.
Source:
“Voluntary gender changers will not get admission on ‘transgender’ quota: DU VC” — The Report (December 23, 2023). The Report
“ঢাবিতে স্বেচ্ছায় লিঙ্গ পরিবর্তনকারীদের জন্য কোনো কোটা নেই” — Kaler Kantho (December 23, 2023). kalerkantho.com
