The High Court has stayed appointment of assistant teachers in government primary schools of 14 districts.

On Monday (Jan 20), the bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Md Mahmud Hassan Talukder withheld the results of the recruitment test after hearing a writ petition.

The districts are Patuakhali, Madaripur, Sirajganj, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Habiganj, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Noakhali, Jashore, Satkhira, Tangail, Barguna and Thakurgaon.

A total of 18,147 candidates were qualified in the written tests, the result of which was published by the Primary and Mass Education Ministry on Dec 24.

As many as 46 job seekers filed a writ petition on Jan 19 challenging the legality of the results.

It argued that the results were not published in line with Section 7 of the 2013 government primary school teacher recruitment rules.

The provision stipulates that 60 percent of the teachers will be appointed from female candidates, 20 percent will be appointed from dependents and rest 20 percent from male candidates.