HSC exams begin

The first day of the HSC and its equivalent Alim and business management (BM) examinations passed without any major untoward incident and disorder anywhere in the country yesterday.
Four teachers were expelled from different centres under Dhaka Board while 45 examinees under 10 education boards for adopting unfair means on the day of English 1st paper examination while 5,291 candidates were absent, according to the board's exam control room.
Among the expelled students, 11 were from BM exams under Bangladesh Technical Education Board while nine under Barisal Board, six under Jessore Board, five under Rajshahi Board, four each under Dhaka, Dinajpur and Chittagong Boards, one each under Comilla Board and Madrasa Board.
Of the 5,291 absent students, 1215 were under Dhaka Board, 649 under Rajshahi Board, 481 under Comilla Board, 682 under Jessore Board, 245 under Barisal Board, 239 under Sylhet Board, 361 under Dinajpur Board, 429 under Chittagong Board, 730 under Madrasa Board and 260 under Technical Board.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Naheed visited examination centres of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and Habibullah Bahar College in the capital in the morning and talked to the examinees, centre officials and guardians.
Any kind of unfair means in the examination will be controlled, Nahid said seeking cooperation from all.
A total of 618,308 candidates are appearing for the exams this year in 1,919 centres, including five in abroad and under the 10 boards.
Of the total candidates, 55.17 percent are males while 44.83 are females.
The highest number of candidates 1,53,398 appear under Dhaka Board, 75,629 under Rajshahi, 41,644 under Comilla, 74,489 under Jessore, 41,754 under Chittagong, 30,159 under Barisal, 18,349 under Sylhet and 59,411 under Dinajpur Education Board.
Some 59,354 students sit for Alim exams under Bangladesh Madrasa Board, and 64,121 under Bangladesh Technical Education Board.