RU entry test: Candidates identify three errors in question paper, probe underway

Three errors have been identified in the Bangla section of the first shift of Unit-A's admission test for first-year undergraduate programmes at Rajshahi University (RU), sparking concern among candidates.

The mistakes were found in questions 13, 16, and 23 of Set-3 in the Bangla portion.

Talking to reporters, RU's Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Farid Khan said that if the mistakes are proven, marks will be awarded to all candidates for those questions.

According to the question paper, question 13 asked: "What type of compound word is 'Dildoriya'?" The correct answer should have been 'Rupok Karmadharaya Samas' (a type of metaphorical compound). However, none of the four given options included the correct answer.

In question 16, the word "Anna" was asked to be split through Sandhi-Bichchhed (word dissection). The accurate answer is "Ar + Na". Although option B presented "Ab + Na", the correct dissection was not among the available choices. Students said many ended up selecting the incorrect answer as it closely resembled the right one.

Question 23 asked: "Which of the following clusters represent 'Amogh-Mahapran' sounds?" However, the term "Amogh-Mahapran" does not exist in Bengali grammar. The correct terminology should have been "Aghosh Mahapran", the candidates pointed out.

Initially, Professor Belal Hossain, dean of the faculty of arts, denied any errors in the paper, saying all answers provided were correct. However, he later told this correspondent that the alleged errors would be reviewed again and that no injustice would be done to the students.

Professor Shahid Iqbal, head of the department of Bengali at RU, confirmed that the three questions did indeed contain mistakes. "There is no such term as 'Amogh-Mahapran' in Bengali grammar," he added.