Live Correspondent: Session jam in the pharmacy department of Jahangirnagar University took a heavy toll on the students of the 2016-17 session, as they are still waiting for their honors 3rd-year final examination results, while their batchmates in other departments have already graduated.

Students of that department sat for their 3rd-year final examination more than a year ago. The results are yet to be published, and the department has already taken its 4th-year final examination.

Now the students are in a quandary about whether they would lose another two academic years if they needed to re-admit in the same year. As the department has already taken the 4th year’s examination before publishing the 3rd year’s results, students who get F grades in more than two subjects will lose another two years.

Because they would then have to sit for the same exams with two batches of a junior session (2018-19 session), as their immediate batch’s (2017-18 session) examination of the third year was already held.

Dr. Mohammad Didare Alam Muhsin, chairman of the pharmacy department, stressed that the department took the 4th-year final examination to reduce session jams.

When the JU correspondent of UNB contacted Dr. Farid Ahmed, then exam controller and the current dean of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences faculty, he declined to comment on the matter. “I can’t recall anything now. So I won’t comment on this matter,” he said.

Md. Masudur Rahman, then deputy controller of the Office of the Controller of Examination, echoed his senior, saying, “I’m on leave for preparatory retirement (LPR) now. Just as I left my duties, I erased everything from my memory in seven days."

According to the rules of the university, if any students fail two subjects and have a minimum CGPA, they can continue their studies with their own batch. But if any student fails in more than two subjects, they will have to drop a year.

The university rules also state that the results of the final examination must be published within three months. Preferring anonymity, a former dean of the university confirmed that no special permission was obtained from the vice chancellor as per university rules.

Associate Professor of the department, Tania Binte Wahid, was the chairman of the exam committee for the third year, and Prof. Sohel Rana and Associate Professor Sukalyan Kumar Kunda were members.

Tania Binte Wahid took leave from the university and went abroad without publishing their results, according to administrative sources. Five months after appointing another chairman, Prof. Mafruhi Sattar, the matter is still up in the air.

The students also allege that, even though the department took their theoretical examination, they are still in the dark about their "industrial training," without which they won’t be able to graduate, reports UNB. The students are yet to know whether they will be able to graduate, and they are deeply concerned about their careers.

Seeking anonymity, one of the students said, “Our friends in other departments have already graduated, and we are still waiting for our third-year results.”

“We can’t take part in any competitive examinations like BCS or even in jobs in our subject-related field," they continued. They also allege that this situation came to this point because their teachers were too busy taking classes at private universities.

Dr. Mohammad Didare Alam Muhsin, chairman of the pharmacy department, said the session jam was created mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic. “We only had permission to take theoretical exams online during that time. We are planning to take the practical examination,” he said.

He said the department contacted several companies for their industrial training. “We hope to solve this problem soon,” he added.m The chairman of the exam committee, Prof. Mafruhi Sattar, couldn't be reached.

Dhaka, 03 March (campuslive24.com)//BIC