Govt not liable for class I-IV question paper leaks!

The chief of a parliamentary panel on Wednesday claimed that the government was not liable for the leaks of question papers of class I to IV.

Motahar Hossain, who heads parliamentary standing committee on the primary and mass education ministry, made the claim in the wake of allegations and criticism that the government failed to stop question paper leaks in public examinations, and admission and recruitment tests in recent times.

“As the question papers of calss I-IV are prepared at the upazila level, the government is not responsible for the leaks,” he argued while briefing newsmen at a media centre at the Jatiya Sangsad (national assembly).

Committee member AKM Jahangir echoed the committee chief, saying that the ministry had no authority over preparation of the question papers of the first four classes at the primary level. "These question papers are prepared by upazila teachers’ associations," added Jahangir Hossain.

A former state minister for the same ministry, Motahar Hossain said they had no idea how question papers for examinations of grade I-IV were leaked.

He, however, mentioned that the parliamentary standing committee had directed the authorities concerned to take proper measures to address the issue.

A ruling party member of parliament from northern Lalmonirhat district, Motahar shared his experiences that as a state minister he bought a few sets of question papers of the primary school completion (PSC) examinations, but none of them matched the original ones.

He recalled that he had passed his secondary school (matriculation at that time) in 1965 when there were allegations of question paper leaks as well.