A total of 64,995 examinees were absent on the first day of Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations yesterday while 34 students were expelled for resorting to unfair means.

Madrasa education board stood highest in terms of absentees as 21,353 students did not take the exams. On the first day, 14,131 examinees from Dhaka board and 5,561 under Dinajpur board were absent, according to the education ministry.

Of the expelled students, 17 were from madrasa board, eight from Barishal board, six from Dhaka, two from Cumilla and one from Dinajpur.

The JSC examinees took Bangla first paper tests on the first day, while madrasa students or JDC examinees sat for Quran Majid and Tazbid. The exams will end on November 15.

Students of Viqarunnisa Noon School doing last minute revisions before their exam is set to start. Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations for eighth graders began across the country today. Photo: Prabir Das

Meanwhile, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday warned that stern actions will be taken if anyone is found involved in question leak.

Law enforcers are on alert to prevent any such incident, he said while talking with reporters after visiting Motijheel Government Boys' High School and Motijheel Government Girls' High School examination centres in Dhaka.

This year, over 22.67 lakh students are sitting for JSC exams under eight general education boards and about 4.02 lakh students are taking JDC exams under madrasa education board.

The examination, which replaced the scholarship tests, was introduced in 2010 when around 14.92 lakh students participated in the test.

WRONG QUESTION PAPERS

Forty eight JSC examinees from two schools in Thakurgaon took the Bangla first paper test with wrong question papers yesterday, reports our correspondent.

Twenty six students from Dalua High School and 25 from Dogachi Girls' High School took the exam at Lahiri Bohumukhi High School examination centre.

Zillur Rahman, centre secretary and also the school's headteacher, said 48 examinees mistakenly received question papers based on old syllabus.

Meanwhile, examinees alleged that they informed the matter to two invigilators but they forced them to take the exam with given questions.

UNO Masudur Rahman, the centre's executive magistrate, said the two invigilators and centre secretary have been discharged from their exam-related duties as per consent of the exam controller of Dinajpur Education Board. The board also assured the examinees that their situation would be taken under consideration, he added.