Education Minister Dipu Moni today called upon the authorities of different public universities to hold combined admission tests.

The minister made the call while addressing a virtual meeting with the vice-chancellors of four public universities on reviewing the admission system today.

The combined admission tests would mean students appear for one test for their chosen discipline which will be applicable for different universities in the country.

Dipu Moni also called upon the universities to come forward with a positive decision in this regard without delay.

"If we can take the admission test in the universities in an integrated or bunch system, it will be a great gift for the students admitted on the occasion of Mujib Borsho and the golden jubilee of our independence," she said.

Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Kazi Shahidullah, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, Jahangirnagar University VC Prof Farzana Islam, Rajshahi University VC Prof Abdus Sobhan, Bangladesh University of Engineering VC Satya Prasad Majumdar took part in the virtual meeting.

The government in February this year had decided to hold the combined admission test.

However, leading universities -- Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), Jahangirnagar University, Chittagong University and Rajshahi University -- are still not interested in adopting the new system.

"Under the new system, there will be three exams -- one each for science, humanities and commerce students -- based on the HSC syllabus."

For example, students would take one test for a place in any of the science and technology universities and another test for a place in any of the agriculture universities.

That would relieve admission seekers from the wasted time, costs and travels required to take separate admission tests for different public universities. At present, only medical colleges have a uniform entrance test."