Dhaka: The High Court on Thursday issued a rule asking the government to explain why holding Junior School Certificate (JSC) and equivalent examinations of class VIII would not be declared illegal and unlawful.

An HC bench, compromising Justice Md Kamrul Islam Sidique and Justice Rajik Al Jalil, passed the order after a writ petition hearing.

In the rule, the court also asked the authorities concerned to explain why the circular and government’s decision over holding the examination would not be cancelled.

Six people, including the education secretary, have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

Earlier on 27 July, Eunus Ali Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the writ with the High Court seeking its directives to cancel the Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination citing it illegal.

According to the Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Ordinance 1961, the SSC, HSC and its equivalent examinations are being held as public examinations and there is nothing called JSC examination in the ordinance, said the petition.