'Question paper leaks out of control'

Even after leakage of question papers of all seven compulsory subjects, the Physics question paper of SSC examinations was also leaked on Tuesday.

Stakeholders said the government earlier ignored the issue of question paper leaks.

So, they observed the prevention of question paper leaks has now gone out of the control.

The stakeholders felt that the question paper leaks could have been prevented, had the government become sincere earlier.

"Under the existing system, the full prevention of question leak would be very difficult. An alternative step is being planned to bring changes in the future examination process," secondary and higher secondary division secretary of the education ministry Sohrab Hossain told Prothom Alo on Tuesday.

The Physics question paper of SSC examinations was available with the examinees on board a bus near Mahila Samity High School and College centre in Chittagong on Tuesday.

Some 24 examinees were expelled and nine students detained in connection with the incident.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations began on 1 February. Over two million candidates are appearing in the largest public examinations.

All the questions of seven compulsory subjects have been leaked.

Allegations of question leak of 'Finance and Banking', which was also held on Tuesday, were also raised.

Some 36 persons were detained across the country on Tuesday in connection with the leakage of the Physics question.

During the previous years, questions were leaked for one or two subjects. But, this year question paper of every subject is being leaked.

The allegations of question paper leaks were raised for any public examination since 2012.

Questions of recruitment examinations and even questions of annual examinations of the primary school and Ebtedayee were also leaked reportedly.

The government has utterly failed to check the question leaks. It is frequently changing its decision to stop question leaks, but no progress is seen.

Admission at Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level is being carried out on the basis of SSC results. The government has introduced some new methods including 'creativity' in the examinations. Some amendments have also been made in the text books.

The entire education system has been affected by a lack of proper planning and management.

How question papers were seized in Chittagong

A bus carrying 54 SSC candidates halted one and half hour before the examination near Mahila Samity High School and College centre in Chittagong on Tuesday. The candidates inside the bus were busy with questions on their mobile sets and tabs. They were discussing about answers to the questions.

The executive magistrate entered the bus all of a sudden. The magistrate seized the mobile sets and tabs from the candidates. He found the multiple choice questions (MCQs) of the Physics in their mobile phone sets and tabs. The questions matched with the original ones.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, executive magistrate of Chittagong district administration Syed Morad Ali said they had a news that some SSC candidates of Patia Branch of Chittagong Ideal School on board a bus were discussing answers to leaked questions. When the bus stopped, the magistrates along with his subordinates entered the bus at 9:00am.

He said mobile phones and tabs were seized from them. The original questions matched 'word for word' with the questions on their mobile sets and tabs.

Out of 54 candidates, all 24 students of science groups were expelled. Of the expelled, nine candidates were detained. A teacher of that school was also detained. The rest 30 candidates were freed as they were not from the science group.

Deputy commissioner Md Zillur Rahman told journalists that the district administration got such information earlier. On information, the raid was conducted on Tuesday.

He said nine students and a teacher will be sued in connection with the incident.

According to the district administration, the examinations of those candidates were taken first. After conclusion of the examinations, they were kept in a room. The district administration, Chittagong Education Board and the school authorities interrogated them.

Two candidates said they collected questions from a group named Ahmed Sayem through WhatsApp in exchange for money. They got questions of MCQ portion at 8:55am on Tuesday.

More incidents of question paper leaks

The RAB-2 arrested a university student for his involvement with SSC question paper leaks from Dhaka city's Agargaon area early Monday. He is Sabbir Hossain, a student of Dhamrai Government College.

According to the Rapid Action Battalion, he used to collect leaked questions from 'Missile Group' of social networks and sell them to examinees before exams.

In Chittagong, the police arrested seven examinees with leaked question papers 40 minutes before the exam from in front of Heiwako Banani High School centre in Fatikchhari upazila.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abul Hasnat Mohammad Md Shahidul Haque said that the leaked question matched with the original one 'word for word'.

According to Prothom Alo Tangail correspondent, four SSC examinees were suspended and a college student was held when they were solving the question paper of Physics.

Prothom Alo Pirojpur correspondent said that a mobile court sentenced a young man, Ripon Chakrabarty, 30, to two years in jail for possessing the leaked MCQ question in his mobile phone.

UNO Md Bazlur Rashid conducted a drive at Saidpur Cantonment Board High School and arrested Jayed Ali from outside of the centre while he was solving the question paper through mobile phone, according to Prothom Alo Saidpur correspondent.

Our Mirzapur (Tangail) correspondent reported that a mobile court sentenced Zakir Hossain, 29, four-year imprisonment in connection with question paper leak of Physics and detained three others for using mobile phones near an examination centre.

Prothom Alo Bhaluka (Mymensingh) correspondent said that the police detained a total of four persons as leaked questions were found in their mobile phones before 30 minutes of the exam near Bhaluka Pilot High School and Habirbari Sonar Bangla High School centres.

In Dinajpur, the local administration held seven SSC examinees from Birampur, Biral and Bochaganj and handed them over to the police for their involvement in question paper leaks.

Mobile phones on near exam centres

The education ministry on Monday ordered immediate arrest if anyone is found with a cellphone in a radius of 200 metres around the examination centre.

The ban seemed quite relaxed in cases of most centres. Visiting Nazrul Shikkhalay centre at Maghbazar in the capital, it was seen on Tuesday that people were using mobile phones near the centre.