The 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations began across Bangladesh on Thursday at 10 a.m. The written exams will continue until August 8, followed by practical tests concluding by August 15. For the first time in the country’s history, the exams are being held under CCTV surveillance. A total of 1,270,583 students from 9,439 institutions are participating at 2,697 centers, an increase of 22,766 candidates from the previous year.

Among the participants, 1,069,714 are from nine general education boards, while 200,869 are from madrasa and technical boards. The exams began with Bangla for general and technical boards and Quran Majid for the madrasa board. Authorities have marked 145 centers as vulnerable, including 40 in Dhaka, and issued 35 directives to ensure fair conduct.

Officials stated that all preparations have been completed to prevent question leaks and cheating. The education minister warned that if malpractice occurs, both students and institutional heads will face action. The government also announced plans to introduce a new curriculum at the primary and secondary levels from 2028, emphasizing culture and sports alongside academic learning.