18 HSC Candidates Miss Exam After Staff Pocketed Fees
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Eighteen HSC candidates from Bogura and Natore will sit for their exams on Saturday under special arrangements, as the Rajshahi Education Board announced that it would complete their registrations by Friday.
Rajshahi Education Board Chairman Shamim Ara Chowdhury confirmed the matter.
On Thursday, the first day of the HSC exams, these students were forced to return from their examination centers because they lacked admit cards, despite paying the required form-fill-up fees to their respective college employees.
Students alleged that while staff collected the money, they failed to submit it to the board on time. Consequently, their registrations remained incomplete, and they missed the Bengali First Paper exam.
Out of the 18 students, 10 attend Mahasthan Mahi Sawar Degree College in Bogura’s Shibganj Upazila, and eight are from Abdulpur Government College in Natore’s Lalpur Upazila. These students were among the 2,497 candidates or 2.21 percent recorded as absent during the first day under the Rajshahi Board.
Ishrat Jahan Suchi, a student at Abdulpur Government College, stated that office assistant Amit Kumar Sarkar took Tk 3,500 from her to handle online registration issues but turned off his phone before the exam.
Seven other students - Sabuj Ahmed, Shimul Sheikh, Akibul, Shimul, Shaon, Sabbir, and Tanvir Hossain - faced the same predicament.
Suchi’s father, Imamul Haque, said, “A person’s negligence and fraud have obstructed my daughter’s path to education,” while demanding a neutral investigation and exemplary punishment.
In Bogura, student Samrat Sarkar accused part-time computer operator Sabbir Hossain Shaon of stalling on the admit cards, and student Hasar Mia claimed extra money was taken with assurances even after the deadline passed.
Abdulpur Government College Principal Mahmudur Rahman confirmed receiving a written complaint against Amit and promised departmental action, though he noted that some of the eight students had previously failed their preliminary exams.
Mahasthan Mahisawar Degree College Acting Principal Md Matiur Rahman said that all financial transactions must go through banks and promised legal action against staff if the allegations are proven.
Chairman Shamim added, “Due to some dishonest individuals, this problem has been created.” She confirmed that the board would complete the registrations by Friday so the students can participate in the exam on Saturday.
