Staff Reporter :The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations of 2015 will begin today (Wednesday) across the country. A total of 1,073,884 examinees will appear in the examinations from 8,305 educational institutions under 10 boards. Of them, 570,993 are males and 502,891 females, the Education Ministry sources said.Referring to the countrywide hartal programme except in Dhaka and Chittagong, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said, the government has taken extra security measures for holding HSC and its equivalent examinations peacefully. “Law enforcers have been asked to tighten security during the HSC and equivalent examinations and to meet emergencies,” the minister said in a statement on Tuesday. It will take four to five months if we hold the examinations only on Fridays and Saturdays to complete the routine. It is totally impossible, Nahid said. Tougher action will be taken against the persons found guilty of question paper leakage and other malpractices, he warned. The minister urged the guardians and examinees not to be misguided by anyquarter which may try to create confusion about the examinations through facebook, mobile phones and other means. A total of 886,933 examinees under eight general education boards will participate in the HSC and equivalent examinations this year.The number of examinees under madrasa education is 84,360. As many as 98,247 students under vocational examinations will take part in the examinations and 4,344 candidates in Diploma in Business Studies (DIBS) examinations.As many as 241 examinees from seven overseas centres named Doha, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, Tripoli, Dubai and Bahrain will appear in the examinations. Of the examinees, 131 are females and 110 males.Additional 20 minutes time will be given to the students with disabilities in the HSC and equivalent examinations to encourage them for continuing their studies.The examinations, scheduled for April 26, 27 and 28, have been postponed due to city corporation elections in Dhaka and Chittagong.
