Dhaka: Urging the government to take measures to stop question paper leaks in the upcoming HSC examination, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Sunday formed human chains all over the country presenting a nine-point recommendation for the government.

In association with Shocheton Nagorik Committee (Shonak), Shwocchotar Jonno Nagorik (Shwajan), Youth Engagement and Support (YES) and Yes Friends Groups, TIB arranged the human chains in 45 districts of the country protesting the ongoing question paper leak menace.

Speaking at TSC at Dhaka University, Rafiqul Hasan, director of research and policy department of TIB said, the situation cannot be allowed to continue like this as it is a threat for the country’s education system.

Demanding strict monitoring and identifying the people involved in leaking question papers, he said, if the situation continues like this, country’s intellectual resource will come under threat. Students who are attaining good results through getting leaked questions will not be able to build good careers while on the other hand the job market will go in the hand of foreigners.

Urging the government to work according to TIB's findings from a research conducted in 2015, they presented a nine-point recommendation. These recommendations are—

1. Clause 4 of ‘The Public Examinations (Offences) (Amended) Act, 1992’ should be amended and previous provision on punishment should be re-introduced. Proper implementation of punishment system should be ensured.

2.The  confusion  in  the  ‘Policy  to  impede  coaching  trading  conducted  by  teachers  of  educational institutions-2012’ should be removed. Various incentives and motivational programmes for  respective  personnel  of  educational  institutions  should  be  commenced  to  create  education-friendly environment and to prevent coaching trading.

3. Guide book and other similar books must be banned according to the existing law.

4.Strong  monitoring  over  usage  of  information  technology  and  punishment  under  existing provision must be ensured.

5. Digital process and mechanisms may be applied experimentally in question composition, printing and distribution to avoid lengthy and time-consuming process.

6. Probe reports related to question leakage must be made public.

7. Allocation of adequate time for relevant personnel to adopt any new initiative related to education and its method and required training must be ensured.

8. The MCQ system should be removed gradually.

9.  More than one set of questions should be prepared especially for the PECE.

The participants of the human chain demanded establishing control over question paper leaks.

Taslima, a participant, said, now-a-days, questions of annual examinations in schools are also getting leaked which is very alarming. On the way to building up an educated nation it is a big threat, she added.

Another participant Bithi said, education is getting affected because of it. A generation is growing up without getting standard education, she added.

Mentioning education as one of its five priority issues, TIB strongly demanded the government to take measures to stop recurrence of question leak during the HSC examination billed for Monday.