Education Minister Dipu Moni said all the coaching centers will remain closed from April 1 to May 6 in a bid to hold the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations fairly. The decision was taken to prevent the daunting plague of question paper leaks in a meeting on law and order situations for the exams at the secretariat yesterday. She said the closure will be applicable from April 1 and will continue for 36 days.

Following the exam schedule, the HSC examinations will start across Bangladesh on April 1 and will end on May 12 while the practical exams will be held up to May 21.

The education minister also said that the question papers would be wrapped by aluminum foil paper envelope before being sent to respective exam centers. During the examination, the examinees must enter the centres 30 minutes before the examination begins. If any student fails to enter within the deadline, s/ he has to explain the causes for the delay properly.  

Besides, no electronic devices will be allowed within 200 yards of the exam centres. On violation, legal action will be taken. No mobile phones are also allowed in the examination centres. Only the in-charge of the exams centres can use mobile phones if they feel necessity for smooth operation of the exam.  The set code of the question papers will be announced before 25 minutes of the exam.

To supervise social media sites, a committee has been formed, added the minister.

A total of 13,51,309 students will participate in this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations. Of them, 6,64,496 are male while 6,86,883 are female students.  The exams will be held in 2,580 exam centres across the country, added, Dipu Moni, the minister for education.  At least 1,03,200 invigilators will be deployed in the exam halls to monitor the exams while around 1,20,000 teachers will discharge the duties.