The number of seats in the 57 colleges including two government ones is three times the number of students who passed the SSC examination this year in the district, sources said. This is because many of the colleges were set up violating rules and criteria, only on political consideration or for political gains, they said.

In the SSC (Secondary School Certificate) examination this year, 6,075 examinees passed in the district, the pass percentage being 61.25. About 14,250 students are needed to fill up seats in all the 57 colleges in seven upazila of the district.

Of the non-government colleges, 15 are in the Sadar upazila, 10 each in Baufal and Golachipa, 7 in Dumki, 6 in Mirzagonj, 5 in Kalapara and 2 in Dashmina.

According to rules of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, at least 250 students have to be admitted to a colleges in each academic year.

To meet the condition, desperate teachers of all non-government colleges are moving door to door to lure students to their respective institutions.

They also urge guardians to sent their wards to their colleges, promising various facilities including free admission, free books and tuition fees waiver.

Abdul Kaleque, headmaster of Laukathi Shaheed Smritee High School told this correspondent that teachers from different colleges come to the school every day and request him to motivate his students who passed the SSC to get admission to their colleges.

Idris Ali, of Shreerampur village in Sadar upazila, said teachers from three colleges already visited his house and requested him to sent his son to their colleges. "They offered free admission and books and tuition fees waiver", he said.

"We face crisis of students as the number of colleges is much more that required. We can not fulfil our demand," principal of a non-government college in Sadar upazila said seeking anonymnity.

Sources in district the education office said, according to rules, a college should be set up covering an area of 10 square miles with 75,000 people.

At best 22 colleges can be set up for about 16 lakh people in the district but there are 57 now, they added.

District Education Officer (DEO) Anwar Hossain said his office has nothing to do in this regard as the Directorate of Education directly controls everything about colleges.