Amid the ongoing non-stop transport blockade, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations commenced across the country on Friday after these were rescheduled for two times due to the hartal enforced by the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance.

The examinations were scheduled to begin on February 2 but those were deferred to February 4 due to the 72-hour hartal enforced by the alliance. 

But the examinations were once again rescheduled as the alliance extended its hartal for 36 hours, forcing their deferment. 

Some 1,479, 256 students— 11, 10,339 from general education board— 2, 56, 380 from madrasah and 1, 10, 295 from technical board— are participating in the examinations from 27,808 institutions across the country.

The examinations are being held in 3,116 centres across the country. 

Besides, two hundred and ninety-seven students appeared at the public examination from abroad in eight centres.

The written examinations are scheduled to end on March 10 while the practical exams are scheduled to begin on March 16.

Meanwhile, around 166 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed to ensure foolproof security of different centers of SSC and its equivalent examinations-2015 across the country on Friday.