Dhaka: The High Court on Thursday ordered a judicial probe into the allegations of question paper leakage in the ongoing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations.

Following a writ petition, an HC bench comprising Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir also directed the authorities concerned to form two investigation bodies - judicial and administrative - to look into the allegations, said Supreme Court lawyer Ainunnahar Siddiqa, one of the writ petitioners.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why their failure and inaction to prevent the leakage of question papers should not be declared illegal and unlawful, she said.

Twenty government officials, including education, law and home secretaries, and chairmen of the education boards, were made respondents to the rule which is returnable in three weeks, the lawyer added.

The Dhaka District and Session Judge will lead the judicial committee while BUET Professor M Kaykobad will lead the administrative committee, according to court sources.

The other members of the judicial committee are chief judicial magistrates of Gazipur and Narayanganj, two deputy secretaries from both Law and Education ministries.

BUET Professor Sohel Rahman, director general of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, an Information Technology Expert from Computer Samity and a deputy inspector general of CID will also be the members of the administrative committee.

The committees are asked to initiate their duties within seven days of receiving the court order copies, said petitioner's lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua.

The court also asked the authorities concerned to submit the probe reports before it within 30 days.

Three lawyers, including Ainunnahar, filed the writ petition with the High Court on Wednesday seeking its order for a judicial probe into the question paper leakage and taking the SSC exams freshly cancelling those have already been held.

Ainunnahar said the SSC examinations for nine out of 10 subjects were held amid the leakage of question papers.