The first day of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations passed smoothly, with no major incidents of cheating or irregularities and no sign of question leak rumours, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said.

Speaking at a post-exam briefing at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka, the minister said authorities had maintained strict monitoring, including surveillance of digital platforms, to prevent cyber-enabled misconduct.

“If anything happens, we will be able to immediately locate the source and take action. Bangladesh has the systems and technical support for this,” he said.

The minister said no suspicious activity was detected on platforms typically monitored during public examinations. He also urged journalists across the country to remain vigilant, noting that media oversight could help deter malpractice.

He added that he kept his inspection routes undisclosed to ensure the effectiveness of surprise visits.

“If centres know in advance, the purpose of inspections is defeated,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the overall arrangements, praising district administrations, law enforcement agencies, education officials, guardians, and local communities for their coordinated efforts.

On CCTV monitoring, Milon said systems were functioning properly at the centres he visited. Authorities have been instructed to preserve footage for review in case of complaints.

He added that many guardians view CCTV as a safeguard against wrongful allegations or expulsion.

The minister said the government is not considering reinstating the Primary School Certificate (PSC) and Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinations.

He added that curriculum review is now under direct supervision and will continue in the coming days.

This year’s SSC and equivalent examinations began today across the country. On the first day, Bangla compulsory first paper and Sahaj Bangla first paper were held under general education boards.

Under the Madrasah Education Board, Quran Majid and Tajvid exams took place, while the Technical Education Board held Bangla second paper.

Written examinations will continue until May 20, with practical exams scheduled from June 7 to June 14.

A total of 1,857,344 candidates under 11 education boards are sitting the exams at 3,885 centres nationwide. Of them, 930,305 are boys and 927,039 are girls.