A large number of students have been absent from the ongoing 2026 SSC, Dakhil, and equivalent examinations under 11 education boards in Bangladesh. Each day, between 25,000 and 35,000 students are missing from exams, with the highest absentee rates recorded under the Madrasa Education Board, followed by the Technical Board. Despite completing ten years of schooling and filling out exam forms, many students are not attending, raising concern among education officials. No coordinated or effective measures have yet been taken by the boards to address the issue.

According to reports from the Dhaka Education Board and other authorities, four main factors are driving the high absenteeism: early marriage among girls, illness, poor exam preparation, and financial hardship leading students to join the workforce. Data from 2025 showed that 41 percent of absentees, mostly girls, missed exams due to marriage, while 25 percent cited illness. The problem is more severe in rural areas than in cities. The Dhaka Board plans to continue investigative efforts to better understand and reduce dropout rates in future examinations.