Dhaka: The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations of 2015 begin across the country on Wednesday.

This year a total of 10,73,884 students under 10 educational boards, including one madrasah and one technical board, will sit for the examinations from 8,305 educational institutions.

Of the total students, 5,70, 993 are boys and 5,02,891 are girls. The examinations will be held at 2,419 centres across the country.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid briefed the media about the examinations at the secretariat on Monday.

This year the number of total examinees has decreased by 67,490 from 11,41,374 last year.

A total of 241 students will sit for the examinations from seven overseas centres, too.

Besides, a total of 8,86,933 students will sit for the examinations from eight general education boards while 84,360 from madrasah board, 98,247 from vocational and 4,344 from DIBS.

The written examinations will end on 11 June and the practical examinations are scheduled to begin on 13 June and end by 22 June.

During the press briefing, the minister said the HSC and its equivalent examinations will begin as per the schedule despite various obstacles, including hartal.  

The minister also urged the hartal enforcers to keep the examinations out of the purview of the shutdown.

Nahid said the law enforcement agencies will keep vigil on the staff, employees of Bangladesh Government (BG) Press and their families and relatives to check any possible question paper leak. The law enforcers will also keep eyes social networking media facebook and coaching centres in this regard.