Wednesday, 27 August, 2025
Education authorities have yet to decide whether Anisa Ahmed, an HSC examinee from Laboratory School and College who missed her Bengali First Paper exam after arriving late, will be allowed to retake the test — leaving her future hanging in the balance.
Anisa says she was delayed because she was taking her ailing mother to the hospital after a stroke, but doubts remain about the accuracy of this claim.
The education board has offered a small consolation: if Anisa scores more than 66 marks on the Bengali Second Paper, she will pass both papers this year. If not, she will have to wait until next year to retake both exams as an irregular candidate.
On June 26, the first day of exams, Anisa arrived an hour late at the Government Mirpur Bangla College exam centre and was barred from sitting the test. Heartbreaking photos and videos of her in tears quickly circulated on social media, capturing the anguish of a young student caught in a difficult predicament.
Anisa’s claim that her mother suffered a stroke and that she was rushing her to the hospital has prompted investigations. Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar said authorities were still considering whether to allow her to retake the exam.
Dhaka education board chairman Prof Khandaker Ehsanul Kabir told bdnews24.com on Sunday afternoon that no final decision had been made. “We have formed investigation teams and sent information to the education ministry. The final call rests with them,” he said.
“There is no precedent or legal provision for arranging a makeup exam for a missed public test. But the board will follow the ministry’s directive,” Kabir added.
He expressed sympathy for Anisa’s academic future, explaining that despite missing the first Bengali paper, she did sit for the second. “If she scores at least 66 marks in the second paper, she will be considered to have passed both. Otherwise, she will have to retake both papers next year.”
Two investigation teams were formed by the Dhaka board and the exam centre to verify Anisa’s story. A senior official supervising the inquiry, speaking anonymously, revealed a distressing detail: “Our teams found that Anisa’s mother was present at the exam centre gate on exam day, identifying herself as Anisa’s aunt. Anisa apparently misunderstood the exam time — thinking it was at 2pm rather than 10am — and arrived too late.”
The official said this information was withheld to avoid disrupting Anisa’s remaining exams. “If she performs well in other subjects, she could still retake two papers for one subject next year.”
Lab School Principal Md Asaduzzaman expressed concern: “We spoke with Anisa and her mother. They provided a medical certificate stating her mother was hospitalized that day, which we forwarded to the board. Whether the certificate is genuine or forged requires a police investigation.”
With Anisa’s academic future uncertain, the education board and ministry face the difficult decision of whether to offer her a second chance. For now, a young student’s hopes remain caught between compassion and regulation, as she waits anxiously for a verdict that could shape her path forward.
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Education authorities have yet to decide whether Anisa Ahmed, an HSC examinee from Laboratory School and College who missed her Bengali First Paper exam after arriving late, will be allowed to retake the test — leaving her future hanging in the balance.
Anisa says she was delayed because she was taking her ailing mother to the hospital after a stroke, but doubts remain about the accuracy of this claim.
The education board has offered a small consolation: if Anisa scores more than 66 marks on the Bengali Second Paper, she will pass both papers this year. If not, she will have to wait until next year to retake both exams as an irregular candidate.
On June 26, the first day of exams, Anisa arrived an hour late at the Government Mirpur Bangla College exam centre and was barred from sitting the test. Heartbreaking photos and videos of her in tears quickly circulated on social media, capturing the anguish of a young student caught in a difficult predicament.
Anisa’s claim that her mother suffered a stroke and that she was rushing her to the hospital has prompted investigations. Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar said authorities were still considering whether to allow her to retake the exam.
Dhaka education board chairman Prof Khandaker Ehsanul Kabir told bdnews24.com on Sunday afternoon that no final decision had been made. “We have formed investigation teams and sent information to the education ministry. The final call rests with them,” he said.
“There is no precedent or legal provision for arranging a makeup exam for a missed public test. But the board will follow the ministry’s directive,” Kabir added.
He expressed sympathy for Anisa’s academic future, explaining that despite missing the first Bengali paper, she did sit for the second. “If she scores at least 66 marks in the second paper, she will be considered to have passed both. Otherwise, she will have to retake both papers next year.”
Two investigation teams were formed by the Dhaka board and the exam centre to verify Anisa’s story. A senior official supervising the inquiry, speaking anonymously, revealed a distressing detail: “Our teams found that Anisa’s mother was present at the exam centre gate on exam day, identifying herself as Anisa’s aunt. Anisa apparently misunderstood the exam time — thinking it was at 2pm rather than 10am — and arrived too late.”
The official said this information was withheld to avoid disrupting Anisa’s remaining exams. “If she performs well in other subjects, she could still retake two papers for one subject next year.”
Lab School Principal Md Asaduzzaman expressed concern: “We spoke with Anisa and her mother. They provided a medical certificate stating her mother was hospitalized that day, which we forwarded to the board. Whether the certificate is genuine or forged requires a police investigation.”
With Anisa’s academic future uncertain, the education board and ministry face the difficult decision of whether to offer her a second chance. For now, a young student’s hopes remain caught between compassion and regulation, as she waits anxiously for a verdict that could shape her path forward.
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