Jhalakathi/Rajshahi, Dec 29 (V7N) — The Junior Scholarship Examination for Class Eight under the Barishal Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education commenced on Sunday morning in Jhalakathi’s Kathalia upazila, marking the resumption of the examination after a gap of 16 years.

The examination began at 10:00 am with the Bangla subject at the Kathalia Government Pilot Model High School centre. According to Md. Aminul Islam, Academic Supervisor of the Upazila Secondary Education Office, students from 35 out of 38 secondary schools in the upazila are participating in the examination. A total of 247 students are sitting for the test. He said the first day’s examination was held in a fair and peaceful manner.

Meanwhile, scholarship examinations were also conducted smoothly across Rajshahi district. The Junior Scholarship Examination, along with the Ebtedayi Grade Five and Dakhil Grade Eight Scholarship Examinations, were held simultaneously from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at various educational institutions in the district.

Sources at the District Education Office said a total of 24 centres were set up in Rajshahi. Of these, 13 centres hosted the Junior Scholarship Examination, while the remaining 11 centres were designated for the Ebtedayi Grade Five and Dakhil Grade Eight examinations. Authorities confirmed that all examinations were completed without any disruption.

In Rajshahi, a total of 7,484 students were registered for the Junior Scholarship Examination. Among them, 7,170 candidates appeared, while 314 were absent. For the Dakhil Grade Eight Scholarship Examination, 834 students were registered, with 790 appearing and 44 absent. In the Ebtedayi Grade Five examination, 1,203 students were registered, of whom 1,156 participated and 47 were absent.

From early morning, students and guardians were seen arriving at the examination centres. Candidates entered the centres well ahead of schedule and took their seats, while parents waited outside with high expectations for their children’s performance. No incidents of disorder or untoward situations were reported.

At around 11:30 am, Paba Upazila Nirbahi Officer Arafat Aman Aziz and Paba Upazila Secondary Education Officer Motahar Hossain visited the Nowhata Government High School examination centre. They inspected overall management, question paper security, and the performance of teachers and staff assigned to examination duties.

After the visit, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer said the administration had taken maximum preparations to ensure a fair examination environment. He added that sufficient invigilators, centre secretaries, and security arrangements were in place at all centres, and no complaints had been received so far.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Motahar Hossain said the scholarship examinations play an important role in nurturing students’ academic excellence and competitive spirit. He noted that all prescribed rules were strictly followed at every stage, from the distribution of question papers to the collection of answer scripts.

Officials said the ongoing Junior Scholarship Examination, along with the Ebtedayi Grade Five and Dakhil Grade Eight Scholarship Examinations in Rajshahi, will continue until December 31. Authorities expressed hope that the remaining examinations would also be completed smoothly and peacefully according to schedule.

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