The government has decided to keep coaching centres across the country closed from Thursday, apparently to prevent the leakage of question papers during the upcoming Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations beginning on April 2.

Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Sohrab Hossain came up with the decision while talking to UNB on Tuesday, reports the UNB.

The coaching centres will remain shut until the examinations end, he said, adding that a notification over the issue was scheduled to be issued later in the day.

The National Monitoring Committee under the Education Ministry at a meeting on March 25 last decided to fix the question paper sets of the upcoming HSC and equivalent examinations through lottery 25 minutes ahead of the examinations to prevent the question paper leak. The Dhaka Board will arrange the lottery to select the question paper sets.

It also took a set of decisions at the meeting. The decisions include ban on carrying mobile phones at the exam centres, allowing only centre secretary to carry general phones and banning the use of mobile phones and electronic devices in a 200-metre radius of exam centres.

All the previous rules, including attendance of the examinees at examination halls at least 30 minutes before the exam, will continue, the secretary said.