Online Report : All coaching centres will remain closed for 44 days -- from June 29 (Saturday) to August 44 -- in a bid to prevent question paper leak in this year`s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams that begin on Sunday (June 30).

However, the coaching centres offering coaching on BCS examinations can be kept open.

Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury gave this directive at a meeting of the National Monitoring and Law Enforcement Committee held at the Ministry of Education on June 5 last.

Speaking at a press briefing on that day, the Education Minister alleged that the coaching centres were mainly responsible for spreading rumours of question paper leak. "Because of it, we have decided to keep the coaching centres closed during the HSC examinations. If anyone doesn`t follow the directive, we will take stern action against him," he also said.

A total of 14,50,790 students from nine General Education Boards, Madrasa Board and Technical Board will sit for the HSC exams from 9,463 educational institutions at 2,275 centres, he said at the press briefing.

Among them, 11,28,281 students will appear from nine General Boards, 88,076 from Madrasa Board and 2,34,433 from Technical Board.

Last year, a total of 13,59,342 students sat for the examinations from all boards.

Some 281 students will appear for the examination from eight overseas centres.

According to the routine, HSC written exams will begin on June 30 and will continue till August 11.

Practical exams will be held from August 12 to August 21, according to the routine.

Besides, the examinations under the Technical Board will continue till July 18 and their practical exams will begin on July 19 and will continue till August 4.

All examinees have been asked to go to the exam centres 30 minutes before the examinations start and the concerned will be informed about the question paper code through SMS 25 minutes before the exams start.

No one will be allowed to enter the exam centres with mobile phones, only in-charges of the exam centres are allowed to carry a mobile phone set.

Besides, no one except examinees, centre invigilators, teams of the ministry, teams of boards, local administration and upazila administration team and security personnel will be allowed in the exam centres.