80% of seats in Dhaka schools reserved for local students

The directive was given in the admission policy for the 2027 academic year issued by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education on Wednesday (November 11). According to the policy, this quota will apply to admissions from first to ninth grade in private schools in Dhaka metropolitan city. The 80 percent catchment area quota will also apply to students promoted from fifth grade to sixth grade in the same educational institution.

In determining the catchment area, the head teacher of the respective school will take assistance from the management committee. If the catchment areas of multiple schools are connected to one another, coordination must be done through the Thana/Upazila Secondary Education Officer; if no solution is reached, an application can be made to the District Education Officer, and their decision shall be considered final.

Schools must collect information on students in the catchment area before starting the admission process; in particular, for admission to sixth grade, there is a directive to collect information on students who have passed fifth grade from primary schools in the catchment area. The policy further states that the area where a student resides on the day the admission circular is published will be considered their catchment area. Alongside ensuring opportunities for local students to get admission in Dhaka schools, the remaining 20 percent of seats have been kept open for students from other areas to apply.