The Ministry of Education’s Secondary and Higher Education Division has issued new guidelines stating that once a student is admitted to an educational institution, they will not be required to pay a re-admission fee for the next grade. The policy was announced on Wednesday, February 18, to promote transparency, prevent financial irregularities, and strengthen accountability in schools.
Under the new “Financial Transparency and Accountability Policy for Educational Institutions”, no institution can charge students any fee beyond the approved tuition. Private schools, school-and-colleges, higher secondary colleges, and degree colleges may only collect tuition fees as per the Tuition Fee Policy 2024, and no new fee heads can be created.
All income and expenditure of private institutions must follow existing government financial rules. Accounts must be managed jointly by the institution’s head and the management committee chair, who are responsible for maintaining proper records. Any financial irregularities will result in action against both parties.
Institutions are required to open accounts in scheduled banks, giving priority to government-owned banks. Student fees, donations, and other income must be collected through designated bank accounts or official government payment gateways, such as the Sonali Payment Gateway (SPG). Cash collection is allowed only in emergencies or natural disasters, and funds must be deposited in the bank within two working days. Any additions, deletions, or changes in income-expenditure accounts require Ministry approval, and collected funds must be deposited according to the designated boards or university accounts.
Separately, the High Court has directed that students should not be charged a re-admission fee after initial enrollment. Private institutions are still allowed to collect tuition fees. This follows a writ petition filed on January 25 by the private organization Bangladesh Law and Rights Aid, which called the re-admission fee the most “silent and exploitative charge” in the country’s education system. The High Court ruling officially abolished this fee.
