Govt fails to contain question paper leaks

Prothom Alo File Photo
Prothom Alo File Photo

Leaks of question papers have taken the form of an epidemic across the country in recent times amid lack of government steps, records suggest.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has termed this practice a new way of indulging in corruption.

From public examinations to university admission tests and recruitment exams, leaks of question papers are now a regular phenomenon.

The law enforcement agencies have been seemingly active of late, but they could not track down the masterminds either.

The police said as many as 71 people have been arrested for their involvement in question paper leaks this year.

The ACC on Wednesday sent a set of recommendations to the cabinet division to address this issue. Banning guide books was one of those 40 recommendations.

According to the ACC, officials at the education boards, the Bangladesh Government (BG) Press and the treasury are involved in the practice. Some officials of these government entities in connivance with coaching centres, dishonest teachers and criminal gangs leak the question papers, it said.

Noted academician professor Serajul Islam Chowdhury blamed the leaks on giving the examination results more importance than the teachings at the classroom.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said lack of accountability is the root cause of this problem. "People involved have to be brought to book if the government wants to eliminate this malpractice, he added.

"We have to move out of this result-based education system as well," he observed.

90 cases only in the capital

A Prothom Alo investigation has found that no examplary punihsment has been handed to the culprits. As many as 90 cases had been filed in the last eight and half years in Dhaka city alone.

However, the court had to acquit the accused in the 12 cases that had been disposed of, because there were no witnesses. As many as 50 cases are under trial while 19 others are under investigation.

The police said 20 of these cases were filed this year. Twelve among them were regarding JSC, SSC and HSC exams.

"We have to raise awareness if we are to contain leak of question papers. Everyone has to come forward, or else it will be difficult to root out this malpractice," said Md Sohrab Hossain, secretary to the Secondary and Higher Education Division.

He thinks leak of question papers cannot be eliminated in this present system. "It is a daunting challenge. We have formed a committee to look into the issue. We will work on their recommendations."

Both teachers and students involved

On 27 March, the police arrested nine, including the principal of Ashulia's Gazirchat AM HIgh School and College Mozaffar Hossain.

Law enforcement officers found that Mozaffar and his office assistant would go to the Savar police station to bring the question papers. When bringing a day's question papers, they would secretly manage to get one or two of the next day's exams as well.

The Criminal Investigation Department last month arrested 14 people, including two Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders, for their involvement in leaks of question papers and irregularities in different examinations. As many as 10 among these 14 were students of Dhaka University (DU).

The police have also arrested 15 DU students who had in fact adopted unfair means to make their way into the university.

However, the mastermind named as Olip Bishwash, who is also allegedly involved in leaks of questions papers of different exams, is yet to be arrested.

"If we can catch Olip, we will be able to make a big headway," said the CID's special superintendent of police Molla Mohammad Nazrul Islam.

DU vice-chancellor Md Akhteruzzaman told Prothom Alo that they are taking legal steps against the students who adopted unfair means to make their way into the university.

Increasing number of incidents

Since 2012, question papers of 80 subjects in PSC, JSC, SSC and HSC exams have reportedly been leaked. The authorities initially denied them, but a government investigation in 2014 found that Dhaka Board's English and Mathematics question papers were 100 per cent leaked.

In the PSC exams of 2013, almost all the exams' question papers were leaked, but the government investigation said 80 per cent of the English and 53 per cent of the Bangla papers were leaked.

During this year's SSC exams, the Mathematics question paper was leaked, but the authorities did not take any steps. Rumours had it that question papers of some of last month's  PSC and JSC exams were also leaked, but the education boards have turned a blind eye.

In the last 15 years, question papers of recruitment tests, including the BCS exams, were leaked around 50 times. In May, the recruitment test for senior officers in Agrani Bank, and the recruitment test for senior nurses under the Public Service Commission in October were cancelled due to leak of question papers.

The question papers of Tuesday's annual examinations in Barguna and Munshiganj were also leaked, forcing the autorities to postpone exams in 361 primary schools.

Educationist Syed Manzoorul Islam believes coaching centres are involved with the question paper leak business. Besides, he said, the hugh number of examinations is another reason.

There should be a ban on the coaching centres and Primary School Certificate (PSC) and Junior School Certificate (JSC) exams have to be stopped. These exams do not make the kids confident, rather they leave the students' families in a trouble, said the former Dhaka University teacher.

* This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Quamrul Hassan.