Education Minister’s Declaration Falls Flat: Rampant Cheating at Natore Exam Centre, Student Expelled After Reporting It

❐ District Representative

A video of open and free cheating inside the hall during the half-yearly examination of Class 9 at Nandu Raipur High School in Lalpur Upazila of Natore has gone viral on social media. Since the video went viral, it has generated strong criticism and anger from the local administration, parents, and conscious circles.

The video shows an unprecedented scene of extreme mismanagement in the examination hall and the absence of invigilators.

In the video that has been circulating on social media, it can be seen that there is no teacher or responsible invigilator present in the examination room. In this room, completely devoid of guardians, students are openly cheating with extreme freedom. Some are opening whole books or papers on the bench and writing answers, while others are taking out their smartphones from their pockets and looking at the screen, scribbling answers in notebooks.

Such a chaotic environment in the examination hall has raised serious questions about the overall discipline and transparency of the educational institution.

The school authorities have been shaken after the video went public. However, the administration seems more interested in hiding the information than taking action against the main culprits or irresponsible teachers.

Nandu Raipur High School principal Rabiul Islam admitted the incident and said, “The matter has come to our attention. A decision has been taken to expel a student for recording this video on a mobile phone while sitting in the hall and publishing it on social media.”

However, the headmaster remained completely silent and refused to comment on why there were no invigilators inside the room at a sensitive time like the exam and who was responsible for this extreme negligence on the part of the teachers.

This incident is being seen as a major setback to the ongoing demands for education reform across the country. Especially after the election of the new BNP government on February 16, the current government’s Education Minister Ehsanul Haque Milon firmly declared, “From now on, education in the country will have to be done; there will be no more cheating.”

Just 5 months after the minister’s stern warning, this picture of Natore has left local conscious circles extremely disappointed.

According to residents, there is an attempt to cover up the real incident by punishing only the student who brought the irregularity to light by making a video. Strict administrative and disciplinary action should also be taken immediately against the teachers who neglected their responsibilities in the examination hall and allowed students to cheat.