22 SSC, Dakhil candidates expelled for cheating, 2 jailed for supplying cheat sheets in Cumilla

Authorities have expelled 22 students during the SSC and Dakhil exams in Cumilla for cheating. Two others have been sentenced to jail for illegally supplying answer scripts.

Md Touhidul Islam, additional deputy commissioner (education and ICT) of Cumilla, said 11 SSC candidates were expelled for cheating in the SSC English Second Paper exam, and another 11 Dakhil candidates were expelled during the mathematics test on Thursday.

Two exam invigilators were also relieved of duty at a centre in Barura Upazila for their roles in irregularities.

In Nangalkot, a mobile court sentenced 19-year-old Imran Hossain to six months in jail after he was caught scaling a building to deliver cheat sheets during the SSC exam.

Upazila Executive Magistrate Rafid Khan said Imran was apprehended around 11am at the Dr Zobaida Hannan High School and College exam centre in Paria Union.

“He tried to create a disturbance while being taken into custody,” Rafid said.

“He was sentenced under Section 11(k) of the Public Examinations (Offences) Act, 1980. The administration is maintaining a strict stance to ensure the integrity of public exams.”

In another case, Tarek Rahman, a young man caught supplying answer sheets during a Dakhil exam at Professor Abdul Majid College centre in Muradnagar’s Ramchandrapur, was sentenced to seven days in jail and fined Tk 200.

The ruling was issued by Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Sakib Hasan Khan under Section 188 of the Public Examinations (Offences) Act, 1980. He was later sent to jail with a police escort.

District officials said additional magistrates have been deployed to Upazilas where malpractice is more prevalent to tighten oversight.

This year, 52,379 students sat for the SSC English Third Paper exam in Cumilla across 102 centres, with 719 students absent. In the Dakhil Mathematics exam, 14,542 students attended in 43 centres, while 379 were absent.