More than 1.27 million students are set to begin Bangladesh’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations on Thursday, with authorities introducing stricter security measures to ensure the tests are conducted fairly and smoothly.
Officials announced that 1,270,583 candidates will take part in this year’s examinations under 11 education boards.
The examinations will be held at 2,697 centres involving 9,439 educational institutions across the country.
The details were announced at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Wednesday by Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleque. Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education, Mahdi Amin, were also present.
According to the education ministry, the examinations will cover 77 subjects over 21 examination days. Educational institutions will continue holding regular classes on days when examinations are not scheduled.
Among candidates appearing under the country’s nine general education boards, there are 648,614 female students and 621,969 male students, meaning female candidates outnumber their male counterparts by 26,645.
The education minister said all nine general education boards will use a single set of question papers this year to maintain consistency nationwide.
Security has also been strengthened at examination centres. CCTV cameras have been installed at every venue, while a central monitoring cell at the Ministry of Education will oversee activities in real time.
Police officers assigned to examination centres will wear body cameras as part of efforts to deter malpractice and maintain order throughout the examination period.
Abdul Khaleque said authorities had removed centres previously identified as vulnerable to question paper leaks or cheating.
However, several centres in haor regions, the Chattogram Hill Tracts and remote char areas have been retained because of the travel challenges students in those areas face.
Special arrangements have also been made for candidates from the Seventh-day Adventist community. Those scheduled to sit examinations on Saturdays will be allowed to take their tests after sunset in line with their religious observance.
Under the nine general education boards, 1,069,714 students will sit the examinations this year, an increase of 14,316 compared with 2025. The number of participating educational institutions has risen by 77, while 21 additional examination centres have been added.
The Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board will oversee examinations for 92,905 candidates, an increase of 6,803 from 2025. The board has also added 23 institutions and two examination centres.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Technical Education Board has registered 107,964 candidates, which is 1,647 fewer than 2025. The number of examination centres under the technical board has also fallen by 123, leaving a total of 610 centres.
The authorities say the enhanced monitoring system and revised examination arrangements are aimed at ensuring a secure, transparent and orderly examination process for students across Bangl
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