HSC candidates in Bogura mistakenly given old question papers

A serious administrative blunder has disrupted the ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations in Bogura, where dozens of students were mistakenly handed question papers from the previous year. The incident, which occurred at the Shibganj Government MH College centre, has sparked widespread anger and anxiety among candidates and their parents.

The mix-up took place on Wednesday during the Logic Second Paper examination for Humanities stream students. In Room 107 of the exam centre, which accommodated 50 candidates in total—seven sitting for Accounting and 43 for Logic—an oversight led to 42 students being given the 2025 question paper instead of the current 2026 version.

Confusion and panic at the centre

The error went completely unnoticed throughout the duration of the exam. It was only after the writing time had concluded that the invigilators realised the catastrophic mistake. In a frantic attempt to rectify the situation, the hall invigilators collected the completed 2025 answer scripts and handed the students the correct 2026 question papers, throwing the hall into utter chaos and causing immense psychological distress to the exhausted candidates.

The High Stakes of HSC Exams

Under the highly competitive secondary education system in Bangladesh, the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations serve as a critical turning point. The results of these exams dictate university admissions and future career trajectories.

To maintain the integrity of these high-stakes assessments, question papers are stored under tight security in local police station treasuries. They are retrieved only on the morning of each exam. Despite these rigid protocols, administrative lapses during distribution occasionally occur, placing unfair emotional strain on young candidates.

Callous negligence under scrutiny

Educationalists have reacted sharply to the incident, calling it an unpardonable act of professional negligence. Rafiqul Islam, the Principal of Mokamtala Mohila Degree College, expressed deep concern over the lapse. He emphasised that public examinations of this magnitude demand absolute precision and that such a failure points to a severe lack of accountability among the centre’s officiating staff.

Defending the institution, Abul Kalam Asad, the Principal of Shibganj Government MH College and the presiding centre secretary, claimed the mix-up was entirely accidental. He explained that the questions had been brought from the local police station in the morning, containing both 2025 and 2026 question packets. The 2025 papers were specifically intended for “improvement” candidates—students from the previous batch retaking the subject to better their grades.

According to the principal, a five-member committee had been specifically formed to oversee the distribution of the question papers. He stated that he had personally inspected Room 107 three times during the examination, but neither the invigilators on duty nor the candidates flagged the discrepancy at the time.

The college authorities have formally reported the incident to the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. To prevent the affected students from being penalised for an institutional failure, the board has offered reassurances that their answer scripts will be evaluated strictly against the 2025 question paper they answered. Additionally, an official board-level investigation committee has been formed to probe the incident and identify those responsible for the distribution failure.