Eighteen Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) candidates from Bogura and Natore will be allowed to sit for their examinations on Saturday under a special arrangement after their registrations were completed on Friday, according to the Rajshahi Education Board.
The students were unable to sit the Bangla First Paper examination on Thursday (July 2), despite reaching their examination centres, as they had not been issued admit cards.
The affected students alleged that they had paid the required registration fees to employees at their respective colleges, but the money was not deposited with the education board in time, leaving their registrations incomplete.
Of the 18 students, 10 are from Mahasthan Mahiswar Degree College in Shibganj, Bogura, while the remaining eight are from Abdulpur Government College in Lalpur, Natore.
One of the affected students, Israt Jahan Suchi, said she had paid Tk 3,500 to an office assistant to complete her online registration after facing technical difficulties. However, she later discovered that her registration had never been processed.
The Rajshahi Education Board said a total of 2,497 candidates were absent on the first day of the HSC examinations, representing 2.21 per cent of all examinees, including the 18 affected students.
Mahmudur Rahman, principal of Abdulpur Government College, said a written complaint had been filed against the accused office assistant and departmental action would be taken following an investigation.
He added, however, that some of the eight students had not been eligible to sit the HSC examinations after failing the college's selection test.
Acting Principal of Mahasthan Mahiswar Degree College, Md Matiur Rahman, said all registration-related financial transactions were supposed to be made through banks and not handed directly to college employees.
''Legal and administrative action would be taken if the allegations were proven.
Attempts to contact the accused office assistant Amit Kumar Sarkar and part-time computer operator Sabbir Hossain Shawon for comments were unsuccessful.
Rajshahi Education Board Chairman Prof Dr Shamim Ara Chowdhury said the students' registrations had been completed under a special arrangement after the necessary documents were submitted through their institutions, allowing them to resume the HSC examinations from Saturday. She blamed the problem on the actions of a few dishonest individuals.
