Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said there will not be any shortage of seats in colleges for those who have passed the SSC examinations.

“If 100 per cent examinees pass the exams, all will be able to get admitted to colleges. There will be no shortage of seats," she said, allaying apprehensions about a dearth of seats for the high number of students seeking college admission.

She made the remarks at a reception at the Bangabandhu Mazar Complex accorded to the students who got GPA-5 in SSC, HSC and equivalent examinations in 2011. She handed over medals, certificates and Tk 3,000 to each meritorious student.

Hasina said distribution of textbooks free of cost among school students by the first of January every year, timely holding of examinations and publication of results have enhanced the standard of education in the country.

She said Bangladeshi students were no less meritorious than foreign students and they were also doing better abroad. “Our children have merit and we'll have to create the atmosphere for their merit to flourish,” she said.