Allegations of irregularities have emerged over the procurement and supply of answer sheets for the 2026 HSC examinations at the Cumilla Education Board. A report published on July 25 said answer sheets were made with cheaper, lower-quality paper than specified in the tender. Visits to several examination centres reportedly found 55-gram sheets being issued instead of the required 65-gram paper.

The Dhaka-based firm Gonolipi reportedly received a contract to supply 65-gram answer sheets but supplied sheets made with 52-gram paper. The allocation for purchasing the sheets was Tk 12.9 million, while the supplied quantity was valued at Tk 8 million to Tk 8.5 million, according to the report. It alleged that roughly Tk 4 million to Tk 4.5 million was misappropriated. Teachers at several centres said this year’s answer sheets were markedly poorer in quality than in previous years.

Gonolipi owner Mohammad Jasim Uddin and several committee members did not respond to contact attempts. Deputy Director Md Shahjahan said his responsibility was to receive sheets from the contractor. Board chairman Professor Ahsan Parvez said he had joined only days earlier and that the matter would need to be investigated.