South Korea Denies Visas to 243 Bangladeshi Students Despite Tuition Payments, Legal Battle Underway
Legal proceedings have finally begun after 243 Bangladeshi students enrolled at South Korea’s Shingyeongju University were denied visas despite paying their tuition fees, while the university itself has fallen into financial distress. To help the affected students recover the money they deposited, a formal claim has been filed with the Daegu Rehabilitation Court in South Korea. The legal battle is being pursued on behalf of a total of 243 students.
Advocate Saiful Islam traveled from Bangladesh to South Korea with the support of We Care Education and the ministry concerned to help recover the students’ dues. Accompanied by a local South Korean lawyer, he filed the claim at the Daegu Rehabilitation Court on August 28.
According to relevant sources, preparations were initially made to file a claim for a refund on behalf of 225 students who had enrolled at Shingyeongju University and were subsequently affected by the situation. Necessary documents, including students’ papers and powers of attorney, were prepared accordingly. However, on August 25, the university authorities applied to the Daegu Rehabilitation Court to undergo a rehabilitation process instead of bankruptcy proceedings. The university authorities claimed that they have sufficient assets and that the institution can be restructured through the sale or proper management of those assets.
After the court accepted the application, the legal strategy was changed. On the advice of the Korean lawyer, it was decided that the claims should be submitted directly to the Rehabilitation Court instead of the bankruptcy court. To clarify the matter, Advocate Saiful Islam and Zahid Hasan, manager of education consultancy We Care, visited the Bangladesh Embassy in Seoul on August 27. They discussed the overall legal situation with the relevant embassy officials. The embassy also advised them to file claims on behalf of the students with the Rehabilitation Court. Subsequently, the previously prepared documents were amended, and on August 28, claims for the outstanding payments of 225 students were submitted, along with claims for an additional 18 students, bringing the total to 243. In addition to filing the claims online, five sets of hard copies were also submitted in accordance with the court’s procedures.
According to the lawyers, the matter will now proceed under the rehabilitation process prescribed by the South Korean court. The court will review the submitted documents and subsequently set a date for a hearing. However, the university has multiple financial liabilities and outstanding loans. Claims from teachers, officials, employees and other creditors will also be considered by the court. As a result, the process of recovering the students’ tuition fees may take some time, according to those concerned.
Speaking about the matter, Advocate Saiful Islam said, “The biggest challenge was to file the students’ claims with the court within the appropriate timeframe. We have submitted claims for 243 students. There is no alternative to following the court’s process. However, we remain hopeful, and all legal steps will be taken to recover the students’ legitimate dues.” He further said that the students and their guardians would be informed of every development in the court proceedings. Those concerned have also urged everyone to remain patient and not pay heed to rumors, as the process is likely to take time.
