5 years imprisonment for digital fraud in exams, bill passed
National Parliament. Photo: Collected.
A bill has been passed in the National Parliament providing for a maximum of five years' imprisonment for offences such as digital manipulation in public examinations, unauthorized access to examination databases, and bringing electronic devices into exam centers.
The bill includes a definition of "digital manipulation." It states that fraud such as unauthorized access, hacking, alteration, modification, deletion, or concealment of public examination databases will fall under the purview of digital manipulation.
A provision for a maximum of five years' imprisonment and a fine has been set for such manipulation. As a result of this bill's passage, the penalties in several other sections of the existing law are being reduced. In those relevant sections, where the previous punishment was 10 years or 7 years of imprisonment, it has been amended to a maximum of 5 years.
On Tuesday, the bill titled "Public Examinations Offences Amendment Bill, 2026" was passed in Parliament. Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon proposed the bill's passage, and after disposing of the proposals to send it to the public opinion and selection committee, it was passed by voice vote.
The bill also includes punishment provisions for entering or attempting to enter an examination center with prohibited electronic devices and for violating valid instructions related to exam conduct.
If someone enters or attempts to enter an examination center or hall with a prohibited electronic device without permission, they may face a maximum of five years' imprisonment and a fine. The same punishment provision has been made for violating the valid instructions, rules, or orders of the examination authorities.
The term "online platform" has been added to the clause regarding the publication, distribution, or circulation of question papers in the existing law. The bill states that anyone who retains, publishes, or distributes a question paper or related materials by any means, including online platforms, will come under the purview of punishment.
On the other hand, the penalty for leaking question papers by any means has been set at a maximum of five years. The existing law had a provision for a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment for such offences. A new clause titled "organized examination offence" has also been added to the bill.
