An examiner of the SSC Science exams lost 50 answer scripts on Friday evening.

The scripts of students from different schools in Chittagong were marked and recorded.

However, officials at the Chittagong Education Board (CEB) said if any of the 50 students would seek a re-evaluation of their marks, there was nothing that could be done.

The examiner, Amitav Dutta, an assistant teacher at Muktakeshi Girls High School in Boalkhali upazila of Chittagong, was carrying 150 scripts in two bags while commuting by bus in the city's Muradpur area.

According to the GD Dutta filed with Panchlaish Police Station on Friday night, he disembarked from the bus in the evening in front of Sanmar Shopping Complex and accidentally took only one bag containing 100 scripts, leaving the other behind.

Upon realising his mistake, he pursued the running bus in a CNG auto-rickshaw but the bag was gone when he got back on the bus to look for it, Dutta said.

He was given a total of 350 scripts to be marked. Dutta had already returned 150 scripts, said CEB officials.

Deputy Exam Controller (High Secondary) of CEB Tawarik Alam said, “We learned about the incident. We will remain alert to protect the interest of the students.”

Speaking to The Daily Star, CEB's Head Examiner for Science Purnima Gosh said, “The teacher has the mark sheet of the missing answer scripts, but he lost the scripts before he could return them to me.

“I informed the board officials and asked the teacher to file a GD.”

Deputy Controller (Secondary) Prasenjit Paul said, “The examiner should not have boarded a public transport with the valuable students' scripts.”

“The matter will be discussed at the disciplinary committee led by the chairman of the education board and action will be taken if he [the examiner] is found guilty.”

Panchlaish Police Station Inspector Wali Uddin Akbar said they were investigating the matter and would try to recover the scripts.