Staff Reporter:
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations began across the country, except Sylhet Board, yesterday.
On the first day, Bangla First Paper examination was held in eight general education boards.
A total of 923,719 examinees took part in the examinations out of total 9,33,689 eligible examinees at 1472 centers across the country apart from Sylhet Board. A total of 9970 examinees were absent on the first day while 20 others have been expelled for using unfair means. The rate of absence is 1.07 percent.
One invigilator has also been expelled for using unfair means in the examination.
Dhaka Education Board Chairman and Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee President Tapan Kumar Sarkar told that every year a portion of students remain absent in examination due to different reasons. In the last year, one percent examinees remained absent.
On the first day, heavy early morning rains under the influence of monsoon caused significant hardships for examinees in different places of the country including Dhaka and Chattogram this morning.
The downpour led to a thin presence of public transport on the streets, making it particularly difficult for examinees and their guardians to reach their destinations.
Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee has instructed to enhance time in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations in view of inclement weather.
He said many examinees yesterday faced problems due to rain and traffic congestion.
So, instructions have been given to enhance time in examinations considering the sufferings of exami-nees due to inclement weather, he added.
Dhaka Education Board also issued an urgent notification giving the instruction of enhancing time in the examinations.
It said if required main entrance of the examination centers will have to be opened before specified time to allow the examinees to enter the centers during the rainy days.
In case of delay — of half an hour or one hour in beginning examination in any center — this time should be adjusted to end the examination, the notification added.