Staff Reporter :The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations began on Friday amid fears over political violence and indefinite blockade programme by the BNP led 20-party alliance, but the examinations were held peacefully and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere across the country.The examination began at 9:00am all over the country with over 14 lakh candidates taking part.The first day’s subjects were Bengali 1st paper, Easy Bengali 1st paper and Bengali Language and Bangladeshi Culture 1st paper.A total of 1,479,256 students from 27,808 schools and madrasas across the country registered their names under the 10 Educational Boards for appearing in the examinations underway at 3,116 centres. Of the total, 763,339 are male students and 715,927 are females.Some 1,110,339 students are appearing under the general Education Board, 256,380 under the Madrasa Board and 110,295 under the Technical Education Board. Two hundred and ninety-seven students are appearing at eight overseas centres.Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited Azimpur Girls’ School & College center at 9:00am.”The examinations on the first day ended peacefully and no untoward incidents were reported,” Nahid told reporters.Nahid urged the BNP-led alliance not to call hartal anymore during the examinations. “Please don’t announce hartal anymore, and call off blockade. I hope that you will be judicious to act.” The Minister claimed that no question paper of the SSC and equivalent examinations would be leaked this year and urged all not to spread confusion, and not to misguide the nation.Later, he talked to the guardians waiting outside the Azimpur center. Many guardians expressed dismay and unhappiness at such political programmes as kills men and women. “My son has suffered mental shock from the ongoing violence,” Md Abul Hasnat, a bank employee and father of an SSC candidate told the Education Minister.Nahid said, the students who are taking part in the examinations this year would lead the nation 30-40 years later. “Their confidence will suffer setback if examinations are deferred again and again due to shutdowns,” he added.Meanwhile, the government has deployed 326 platoons of BGB (about 10,000) members across the country to ensure security of the examinees, sources said. It may be mentioned that the SSC examinations were shifted twice in seven days. The original date of February 2 was deferred to February 4 and then again to February 6.
