The High Court has cleared the way for Notre Dame College, Holy Cross College and St Joseph College in Dhaka to admit students of class XI through holding admission tests.

Responding to a writ petition, the court today stayed a government decision that asked the colleges authorities to admit XI students on the basis of merit-list to be prepared by the government in next six months.

The court issued a rule upon the government to explain in four weeks why its decision regarding the admission process should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir came up with the order and rule following the writ petition jointly filed by three principals of the three colleges.

They submitted the petition on Sunday challenging the legality of the education ministry's decision.

Barrister Tamim Hossain Shawon, a lawyer for the writ petitioners, told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for the college authorities to admit the XI students through holding the examinations.

He said the education ministry on June 1 issued a circular saying that HSC students will be admitted into the colleges on the merit list which will be prepared by the government on the students who passed the SSC exams this year.