Dhaka: Government is going to incorporate provisions of ‘stern actions’ in the ‘Draft Education Act 2013’ for the persons involved with leaking question papers. 

Government has been taking the initiative due to the movement waged by the country’s educationist and civil society.

On April 8, Dhaka Board had to postpone the scheduled English-II of Higher Secondary Certificate examination on the allegation of leakage of question paper.

Allegations were also rife against leakage of questions papers in other boards. 

After the leakage scandal, the educationists particularly Professor Zafar Iqbal hold a protest program at National Shahid Minar demanding punishment to the offenders involved in the process by enacting tough laws.

On June 11, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid sat with about 50 senior educationists, teachers and leading citizens as a response to the demand. 

After threadbare discussion, the educationists urged the Minister to frame tough laws to prevent this destructive practice.

It was observed in the meeting that through conventional system the security of the secret documents like question papers cannot be preserved. 

Participants in the meeting also told that the questions are set through analogue method while the perpetrators do the misdeeds through digital method. So, it has become imperative to adopt highest security measures from question setting to distribution process using modern devices besides framing tough laws for the offenders.

Deputy Secretary of Education Ministry Gautam Kumar told Banglanews that earlier the draft education law-2013 was sent to the cabinet after obtaining opinions of various persons and institutions.

Now the new law would be reviewed after some observations of the cabinet committee. The recent development of question leakage would now be incorporated in the draft law with the provision of tough punishment to the offenders. The fresh amended draft law would now be sent to the cabinet committee. 

On the other hand, Supreme Court Advocate Yunus Ali Akand filed a writ on June 10 to the High Court seeking death penalty for the offenders involved with leaking question papers of PSC, JSC, SSC, HSC, MBBS, BDS and admission tests of all universities.

In the writ petition, it was further asked to form judicial enquiry commission for digging out the real culprits and its related mischief.

Talking on the matter, Advocate Yunus Ali Akand informed Banglanews that the Vacation Bench of HC comprising Justice Kazi Razaul Haque and Justice Akbor Hossain will hold the hearing on the writ in the next week.

A plea was made in the writ to direct the enquiry commission to enquire the past incidents of question leakage, he added.

As per the existing law of Public Examination (offence) of 1980, amended in 1992, offenders in question leakage, publishing or distribution can be sent to 3-10 years imprisonment alongside monetary fine. 

But, so far, there is no remarkable instance of maximum punishment for the offenders except microscopic number of cases.

BDST: 1644 HRS, JUN 21, 2014