The High Court in a rule yesterday sought explanation from public university and medical college authorities as to why they should not be directed to introduce separate question papers for admission seekers from English medium institutions.

The HC bench of Justice Quamrul Islam Siddique and Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif issued the order following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Atiqur Rahman.

In the rule, the court also asked the authorities concerned to show cause as to why they should not be ordered to introduce a fair and standardised grading procedure for all admission seekers regardless of their medium of instruction at their educational institutions.

Petitioner's lawyer Reza Md Sadeqeen told reporters while explaining the reason behind the filing of the writ that admission seekers from English medium institutions encounter difficulties when they take admission tests out of Bangla question papers at the public universities.

The chairman of the University Grants Commission, the education secretary, the health secretary, the vice chancellor of Dhaka University, the vice chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), the principal of Dhaka Medical College and the director of Medical Education were made respondents to the rule.