Matia makes excuses

Pointing at widespread criticism over alleged leak of questions of the ongoing primary terminal examination, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday said there was a lot of criticism centring the education sector but it should be remembered that mistakes occur when work is being done, not when nothing is done at all.

“I do not understand whether I will cry or laugh when I see people who did nothing for the education sector's betterment criticising the government,” she said, praising the government's initiative to reach school students textbooks before the start of the academic year.

Meanwhile, apprehensions on the leaks came true for the fourth time with parents whose children in class V appeared in yesterday's mathematics paper alleging that many questions matched those in the sample questions circulating among some of them and on Facebook pages.

Matia was addressing a discussion, “Trial of War Criminal: National and International Obstruction”, organised by Ganotantri Party in the capital's Jatiya Press Club marking the death anniversaries of the party's former presidents Ahmedul Kabir and Nurul Islam.

A fire, its source yet to be known, broke out at Nurul's residence in Lalmatia on December 3, 2008, killing his son

Tamohar Islam, 35. Seriously injured, Nurul died 36 hours later.

The government is determined in bringing the culprits behind Nurul's killing to book, said Matia, adding, “I ask his colleagues to find clues to help the investigation.” Nurul's wife Ruby Rahman appealed to the prime minister to be served justice.

QUESTION LEAK

One of two parents who first called The Daily Star on Friday evening with the sample questions yesterday also confirmed the issue.

“Where should we go as the government keeps denying the fact,” said one, requesting anonymity fearing undue harassment by the government.

Starting November 23, the exam saw around 31 lakh school and madrasa students sit for, till date, Bangla, Bangladesh and global studies, science and yesterday's mathematics papers.

However, allegations that the questions were being leaked before each exam have been dismissed by the primary and mass education ministry as “rumour” and “baseless”. Without going for a probe, it urged the media to refrain from publishing “false, baseless and motivated news”.

Outside the capital's exam centres yesterday, it was the hot topic for discussion among parents alongside the cause of anxiety with many pointing out that the leak sources were yet to be identified, let alone punished.

“The questions of most of the papers got leaked through social networking sites or SMS. In some cases, handwritten questions were also circulated. But it seemed that the government did not believe it,” said Faruk Hossain while waiting outside Viqarunnisa Noon School.

Unlike other papers, there were several sample questions for mathematics circulating, said a mother, adding, “We do not know why the intelligence agencies are failing to find out the source...we want relief.”