Over 10 lakh appeared, 24000 absent

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations began across Bangladesh on Thursday with 24,784 candidates absent and seven expelled for using unfair means, even as the first day’s tests were held peacefully under tightened security measures, according to the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee.

1,000,120 candidates appeared in the examinations out of 1,024,904 registered candidates. A total of 24,784 candidates were absent, while seven examinees were expelled for adopting unfair means, the committee said.

Among the nine general education boards, 838,864 candidates sat for the Bangla First Paper examination out of 856,097 registered candidates. A total of 17,233 candidates were absent and five examinees were expelled.

Two expulsions took place under the Jashore Education Board, while one candidate each was expelled under the Cumilla, Dinajpur and Mymensingh boards.

The highest number of absentees among the general boards was recorded in Dhaka Board with 3,971 candidates, followed by Rajshahi with 2,497, Jashore with 2,078, Dinajpur with 1,937, Cumilla with 1,795, Barishal with 1,346, Chattogram with 1,340, Mymensingh with 1,142 and Sylhet with 1,127.
Under the Madrasah Education Board, 80,653 candidates took the Alim examination in Quran Majid out of 85,131 registered examinees. A total of 4,478 candidates were absent and one examinee was expelled.

Meanwhile, under the Technical Education Board, 80,603 candidates appeared in the Bangla-2 examination out of 83,676 registered candidates. The board recorded 3,073 absentees and one expulsion.

However, data from eight overseas examination centres operating under the Dhaka Education Board were not immediately available.

The sweltering weather with intermittent rains also caused discomfort for guardians waiting outside examination centres for hours. The city dwellers witnessed severe traffic congestion in different streets of the capital in the morning.

Law enforcement personnel maintained a visible presence around examination centres throughout the day.

They managed traffic and security arrangements to ensure the smooth movement of students before and after the examinations.

For the first time, police body-worn cameras were deployed at examination centres as part of enhanced security measures.

Students said security checks were conducted appropriately and no excessive harassment was reported, contributing to a smooth examination environment.

Meanwhile, allegations emerged from Narsingdi’s Monohardi upazila that around a hundred candidates in two rooms at Khidirpur Degree College examination centre were given incorrect multiple-choice question (MCQ) papers during the HSC Bangla First Paper examination.

Students said the error occurred after the written section ended and the 30-mark MCQ papers were distributed. Authorities had not immediately commented on the incident.