Section 144 restrictions to be imposed around SSC centres during exams

During the exams, people unrelated to the tests will not be allowed within 200 yards of the centres

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Restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure will be imposed around examination centres for three hours during the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations.

Accordingly, people unrelated to the tests will not be allowed within 200 yards of the centres throughout the duration of the exams.

The Ministry of Education has also ordered all coaching centres to remain closed from Apr 10 to May 13 during the exams – a 34-day period.

The SSC and equivalent examinations ware set to start Apr 10 with the Bangla First Paper exam. The exams will be conducted from 10am to 1pm. The theoretical exams will end on May 13.

The SSC practical exams will be held from May 15 to May 22. This year's SSC assessments will cover the full syllabus, with full marks and full exam durations for all subjects.

Md Eyanur Rahman, senior assistant secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Department (SHED), told bdnews24.com: “Section 144 will be imposed around the examination centres during the SSC and equivalent examinations. No one aside from the persons concerned with the examination will be allowed into the areas during this time.”

“All types of coaching centres have been instructed to remain closed for 34 days from Apr 10 to May 13 during the examination period. No types of coaching centres can be kept open during this time. The local administration will monitor the matter. A circular has been issued with these instructions.”

Prof SM Kamal Uddin Haider, convener of the Inter-Education Board Examination Regulatory Committee and examination controller of the Dhaka SHED Board, told bdnews24.com: “Generally, Section 144 is imposed only for the three hours of the examination within 200 yards of the centre. However, this distance may vary from centre to centre.

“The area around the centre that will be covered by Section 144 is marked with red flags. No one other than the concerned persons will be allowed to cross the red flags and approach the centre during the examination period."

The Ministry of Education has issued a set of instructions in the circular to organise the SSC, Dakhil, and SSC and Dakhil Vocational examinations in a proper and fair environment free of cheating. The circular has been sent to all divisional commissioners, the chairmen of all education boards and all deputy commissioners by the SHED.

It states that all examinees must enter examination centres at least 30 minutes before the start of the tests and take their seats. If any examinee arrives at the centres after that time but before the start of the test, they must mention their name, roll number, time of entry and reason for delay in the register. The list of late examinees will be reported to the relevant education board by the centres’ secretaries every day. However, no examinee will be allowed to enter the examination centre or take the examination if 30 minutes have passed since the start of the examination.

The Ministry of Education also said in the circular that no one other than the centre secretary will be allowed to use mobile phones or, watches, pens or unauthorised electronic devices with mobile phone capabilities in the examination centre. The ministry says that the centre secretary will be able to use a feature phone, which does not have a camera or the option of connecting to the internet. Action will be taken against users of unauthorised phones or electronic devices.

In addition, candidates will not be able to use “programmable” calculators in SSC and equivalent exams. However, they will be allowed to use “non-programmable” scientific calculators.

SM Haider told bdnews24.com, "Programmable calculators contain various mathematical formulas. Therefore, like every year, programmable calculators will not be allowed in this exam. However, candidates will be allowed to use non-programmable calculators."

The circular instructs officials, teachers and employees engaged in receiving and transporting question papers from the Treasury, police stations or security custody not to use phones. At the same time, the use of vehicles with black glass for carrying question papers has also been prohibited.

The ministry says that one executive magistrate or officer (tag officer) will be appointed for each centre. The centre secretary or his designated representative will receive the question papers from the Treasury, police station or security custody along with the tag officer and take them to the police guard centre. If the executive magistrate or officer (tag officer) is not present, the question papers cannot be taken out or carried from the Treasury, police station or security custody.

Highlighting that “all sets of essay and creative questions, including multiple choice questions, must be taken from the security custody to the examination centre”, the ministry further said that the set code of the questions will be announced 25 minutes before the start of the examination. Accordingly, the examination will be taken with the prescribed set code. The prescribed set code must be confirmed in the presence and with the signature of the officer in charge of the tag officer, the centre secretary and a police officer before the packet of question papers is opened.

The ministry said that entry into the examination centre during and before the examination will be “completely prohibited” aside from examinees and those engaged in examination-related work. "Legal action will be taken against any unauthorised persons entering the examination centre during this time.

“If an examination is delayed due to unavoidable reasons, the examinees will have to be given the time specified in the question paper from the minute the examination starts, as per the schedule," the ministry's circular added.

The Ministry of Education said that law enforcers responsible for transporting the examination centres and questions will perform their duties with caution. The law enforcing agencies and the district administration will take strict legal action against those involved in leaking any question papers or providing answers to the examinees. Law enforcers and relevant government departments will step up surveillance on rumours of question paper leaks on social media or question paper rings.

All photocopying machines around examination centres will be turned off for examinations.

The Ministry of Education said that the boards will be instructed to send the answer sheets to the nearest post office as soon as possible after the examinations for each subject is completed.

The circular also stated that the responsibility of the officer responsible for presenting the examination information and data through the media and other means will be carried out by Khondokar Ehsanul Kabir, president of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and chairman of the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board.

Kabir told bdnews24.com, "All preparations for the examination have already been completed. All the examination equipment has reached the centres.”