Leaked question paper used in Dhaka board SSC math exam

The mathematics examination of SSC in Dhaka board has been held with question paper leaked through messaging app WhatsApp hours before the test.

Sazia Afrinbdnews24.com
Published : 12 Feb 2017, 09:19 PM
Updated : 3 Feb 2018, 10:11 PM

The question paper bdnews24.com Staff Correspondent Sazia Afrin received when she sought for it posing as a candidate has matched verbatim with both multiple choice and creative section of the question paper used in the exam on Sunday.

Sajia obtained the WhatsApp number from a Facebook group.

bdnews24.com collected the question paper from the candidates to examine it with the leaked one after the test of the compulsory subject was held from 10 am to 1 pm.

The education ministry has been denying the allegation of leaked question paper of public examinations amidst heavy criticism over the matter in the past few years.

When contacted with the evidence on Sunday, Tapan Kumar Sarkar, the exam controller at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, said it was a 'worrying matter'.

Tapan, the chief of the inter-board exam controller sub-committee, told bdnews24.com that the board authorities also received a leaked question paper Saturday night. But it did not match with the real question paper.

He, however, admitted that the set of questions bdnews24.com got at 9:30am on Sunday resembled the real ones.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid was not available on his mobile phone for comment Sunday night.

Secondary and Intermediate Education Secretary Md Sohrab Hossain did not answer the phone or text messages.

Tapan asked the reporter to contact intelligence agencies.

About the leak, he said the authorities suspect that someone in the Treasury is involved in it.

He said the sealed question papers are sent to deputy commissioners' offices and kept in the treasuries for 15 to 20 days before the public examinations.

The question papers are forwarded from the district treasuries to the police stations at the Upazilas three days before the examinations and those finally reach the exam centres in the morning of the exam days.

The authorities at the exam centres open the sealed files half an hour before the tests start.

How the question papers were obtained

An announcement was made on the Facebook page - SSC Exam Question Only Dhaka Board - at 4:17pm on Feb 9 claiming that '1000% common' math question paper will be supplied through 'WhatsApp number 01744681139' for Tk 800.

On sending a request at 8:10pm on Saturday, an image version of a handwritten math question paper was sent to the bdnews24.com correspondent at 8:56pm.

Another image of a printed version of 'Kha' set of the math question paper was sent at 9:08pm.

No discussion on the payment method was held with the disguised bdnews24.com reporter.

The handwritten answers to the 'Kha' set question paper arrived at 9:53pm.

At 2:40am on Sunday, a text message was sent through WhatsApp. It asked to finish the sent sets first.

The message also said the sender would inform what set has been chosen for the exam at 8am.

The printed 'Ka' set question paper was sent after that.

Another set of handwritten MCQ was sent at 6:46am, saying that the set might have changed.

The creative section of the 'Ka' set was sent again at 6:48am.

The printed MCQ section was sent with the solutions at 9:36am. The message read: "100% common".

The set of creative questions of 'Ka' set received at 2:40am was used in the examination which started at 10am.

The MCQ section was the same sent at 9:36am.

At 11:09am, another message was sent from the number, saying: "You'll get me at all the levels in your life."

"I work in every kind of public exam. Remember that I always want your wellbeing," it read.

The sender also promised to provide the question papers of Islam and Physical Education if he or she gets 'something' in exchange for his 'labour'.

"Those who understand the value of labour will knock me again," it added.