JSC, JDC examinees fret over schedule amid Jamaat strikes

It is uncertain whether the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and equivalent examinations will be held during the Jamaat-e-Islami's countrywide shutdown.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Wednesday told reporters that he, too, was 'worried'.

"We are not considering deferring the exams right now," he said.

Jamaat has announced to hit Bangladesh with a three-day strike – Thursday, Sunday and Monday – protesting against its chief Motiur Rahman Nizami's conviction for war crimes.

The JSC and JDC examinations are scheduled to kick off from Nov 2, as per a schedule published by the education ministry on July 23.

JSC candidates are to sit for Bangla first paper while the JDC examinees are scheduled to sit Quran Majid and Tajbid tests on Sunday.

Over two million candidates are taking the JSC and equivalent tests this year but Jamaat's strike call has thrown them into uncertainty.

'Tanvir', a JSC aspirant, said he would start preparing for other subjects once he was sure about Sunday and Monday's exams.

Mirpur residence Azizul Islam, whose daughter is a JSC candidate, said he was pretty sure the examinations would be deferred.

"But we are tense because the government has not taken a decision yet. This is wrong.”

Asked whether the tests would be deferred, the education minister told reporters, “Why would we defer the tests? Those who have called the strike did so to hamper the children’s education.”

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There was no logic behind calling the strike over the court’s verdict, he said.

“(Nizami) wanted to destroy this nation in 1971 by killing people and now wants to destroy the future by imposing strike. Its everyone’s responsibility to let the exams take place without any hindrance.”

As the journalists kept asking whether the tests would take place amid the shutdowns, Nahid dodged again. “We have published the routine already. Those who announced the strike shall with withdraw it.”

“We won’t say anything more than this for now.”

The minister continued, “Students, parents are worried, but we did not create the situation. We haven’t decided yet to defer the tests.”

Jamaat’s strike call came earlier in the day after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Nizami to hang until death as it found the Jamaat chief to be criminally responsible for the execution of intellectuals and guilty of conspiring to commit war crimes.

Nizami led the Pakistan Army’s vigilante militia outfit Al-Badr to abort Bangladesh’s birth in 1971.

Last year, several JSC and JDC tests were also deferred due to nationwide shutdowns called by the BNP and the Jamaat.

Zero tolerance on question leak

The education minister told the media none of those who leak the question papers of public examinations would be spared.

He said necessary steps and security measures would be taken to hold the tests without trouble.

Nahid said a committee would be formed to oversee the tests. It would comprise officials from the education, home and public administration ministries, the Cabinet Division and law-enforcing agencies.

The minister urged parents to help their children to remain focused and take preparations to pass the exams without cheating.

He asked the students to not try to get their hands on the fake question papers leaked by frauds. “Don’t try to get those fake question papers. Inform us first. We’ll take action.”

He said coaching centres would also be under strict vigil to prevent question paper leaks.