The Ministry of Education has finalized June 7 as the start date for this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations. The decision was approved on Monday following a proposal from the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee. Public relations officer Khalid Mahmud confirmed that Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan approved the date, and an official notice will be issued by the education boards.

Earlier, the preliminary decision to begin the exams on June 7 was taken during a meeting of education board chairmen at the ministry’s Secondary and Higher Education Division. The meeting was held on Sunday afternoon. Additionally, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations are scheduled to start on April 21.

The announcement provides clarity for students and institutions preparing for the national examinations, aligning the academic calendar for the year.

A discussion has been held on the possibility of reducing the duration of the diploma engineering course at the country’s polytechnic institutes from four years to three. The issue was raised during the Annual Development Programme (ADP) review meeting of the Technical and Madrasa Education Division under the Ministry of Education on Monday, according to the state news agency BSS. Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan attended the meeting as the chief guest, the ministry said in a press release.

The meeting noted that students currently enroll in the four-year diploma engineering program after passing the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or equivalent examination. The course was previously three years long but was extended to four years without major changes to the curriculum. As a result, students now spend an additional year before entering the workforce.

Discussions suggested that if the course duration is reduced to three years, students would be able to join employment one year earlier than at present.

Education Minister Dr. Ehsanul Haque Milon held a meeting with officials of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) at the Secretariat on Monday to discuss strengthening the organization’s role in developing a skilled and disciplined youth workforce. The discussion, titled “Youth Workforce Development: National Transformation through BNCC,” focused on expanding BNCC activities, improving training structures, and increasing youth participation in national development.

During the meeting, the minister emphasized the importance of discipline, leadership, patriotism, and ethics among students, noting BNCC’s potential to build responsible citizens and serve as an effective national defense line. He highlighted challenges such as drug addiction, lack of interest in studies, and dropout rates, urging greater coordination between BNCC and the Ministry of Education. The minister also discussed including BNCC activities in the government’s 180-day program and launching pilot projects in several upazilas.

BNCC representatives presented proposals on infrastructure, training costs, manpower, and expansion at the upazila level, suggesting the use of existing educational facilities for cost-effective nationwide implementation.

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations for this year are expected to begin on June 7, according to a preliminary decision by the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee. The proposed date was set during a meeting of board chairmen held on March 29 at the Ministry of Education’s Secondary and Higher Education Division. The final schedule will be prepared after receiving approval from the education ministry.

A board chairman confirmed that the date was chosen based on the education minister’s latest guidance and overall considerations. Once approved, the final timetable will be published soon. The meeting also decided that from this year, all nine general education boards will conduct the HSC exams using a uniform question paper.

Previously, only the madrasa and technical boards used common question papers. With this decision, all 11 education boards in the country will now hold examinations under a unified question format.

Kutubdia Police Station in Cox’s Bazar, established in 1917, still lacks a morgue after 108 years. Despite the construction of a new three-story building with a large budget, no separate room was allocated for preserving bodies. As a result, when a body is recovered, it must be sent about 100 kilometers away to the district hospital for storage and autopsy, causing both time delays and financial strain.

In the absence of a morgue, recovered bodies are often kept for hours on the open ground floor of the police station, exposing them to the risk of attacks by stray animals. Police officers or relatives must stay overnight to guard the bodies. Officer-in-Charge Md. Mahbubul Alam stated that all police stations are supposed to have morgues, but Kutubdia does not. He added that the island’s location makes autopsies difficult, as bodies must be transported across a channel to the district headquarters.

The officer said he would bring the issue to the attention of higher authorities for urgent consideration.

Professor Dr. Mohammad Nasir Uddin from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering has been appointed as the new proctor of Jagannath University. The appointment will take effect on March 30, 2026, according to an official order signed by the university’s acting registrar, Professor Dr. Md. Sheikh Gias Uddin, on Sunday.

The order stated that Professor Dr. Muhammad Tajammul Haque of the Department of Islamic Studies had requested to be relieved from his duties as proctor, and his request was accepted. Following this, Professor Nasir Uddin was appointed as the new proctor, subject to syndicate approval and until further notice.

The notice also mentioned that Professor Nasir Uddin will be entitled to allowances and other benefits as per university regulations while performing his new responsibilities.

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan MP has called on teachers to fulfill their ethical and professional responsibilities despite existing limitations and challenges. He made the remarks on Sunday while inaugurating a training program at the National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM) in Dhaka, describing teachers as the 'chiropractic doctors' of the nation who shape future generations.

The minister emphasized that building the future Bangladesh is a national commitment, not an individual or government agenda, and teachers play the most crucial role in achieving this goal. Highlighting structural issues in the education system, he pointed to delays in SSC and HSC examinations, which cause significant time loss for students, and stressed the need for effective reforms. He also urged participating teachers to submit written recommendations after the training to improve future programs.

Dr. Milan described the education sector as a place of devotion and said that every positive outcome from education is a lasting benefit for teachers. He called for collective and constructive efforts from all teachers to move beyond past limitations and work together for a developed Bangladesh.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has issued 11 urgent directives to ensure that the 2026 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations are conducted smoothly, fairly, and without malpractice. The instructions, sent on March 28, 2026, to all exam center secretaries and field officials, emphasize strict compliance. Authorities warned that any negligence leading to unwanted incidents would result in legal action against responsible individuals.

According to the DSHE, the directives were based on decisions made in a Ministry of Education meeting. The nationwide SSC examinations are scheduled to begin on April 21, 2026. The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward irregularities during the exams. The measures include mandatory installation and operation of CCTV cameras in all exam rooms, proper video storage, deployment of adequate security personnel, prohibition of mobile phone use by teachers and students, and body searches of examinees to prevent cheating.

The DSHE also instructed that exam centers maintain cleanliness, adequate lighting, and display special notices for students and guardians at main gates to promote a disciplined and transparent exam environment.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has issued 11 special directives to ensure fair and cheat-free Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations across Bangladesh. The instructions, sent to center secretaries and institution heads on Saturday, include mandatory installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in every exam hall. The SSC and equivalent exams are scheduled to begin on April 21, 2026. The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward any irregularities during the examinations.

The directives also require all non-functional CCTV cameras to be repaired before the exams, proper storage of recorded footage, installation of wall clocks in every room, and deployment of adequate security personnel in consultation with local authorities. Mobile phone use will be restricted to center secretaries only, and examinees will undergo body searches before entering exam halls, with female teachers conducting searches for female students. Centers must also display special instructions for students and guardians at main gates and ensure clean, well-lit environments.

Authorities warned that any negligence in implementing these measures could result in strict legal action against responsible officials.

All educational institutions across Bangladesh are set to reopen on Sunday, March 29, after a 38-day closure that combined holidays for Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Independence Day. The extended break officially ended on March 26, but with the weekend following, classes will resume from Sunday. The information was confirmed by sources from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

Officials from both ministries stated that classroom activities were limited during the first three months of the year due to the 13th National Parliamentary Election, Ramadan, and Eid. This has led to noticeable learning gaps, prompting directives for full-scale class operations once schools reopen. According to the revised holiday schedule, all primary, secondary, madrasa, college, and technical institutions remained closed from February 19 to March 26.

To address learning losses in primary schools, the Directorate of Primary Education has canceled the first ten Saturday holidays following Eid. However, the Ministry of Education has not yet issued similar instructions for secondary schools.

All educational institutions in Bangladesh, from primary to higher secondary levels, are set to reopen on Sunday following the extended holidays for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr. Ahead of the reopening, the Ministry of Education has issued an urgent directive to ensure cleanliness and proper maintenance across all campuses. A special inter-ministerial committee has been formed to oversee year-round supervision, with the State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives appointed as its convener.

The directive, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Muhammad Helal Chowdhury from the Secondary and Higher Education Division, outlines five key instructions. These include ensuring complete cleanliness before classes resume, strengthening daily monitoring of hygiene, conducting weekly cleaning drives with teacher and student participation, implementing tree-planting and gardening programs, and organizing awareness activities on personal and environmental hygiene.

The ministry emphasized that these measures aim to maintain a healthy and sustainable learning environment throughout the academic year.

Online applications have begun for 12,951 vacant posts of heads and assistant heads in non-government MPO-listed educational institutions across Bangladesh. The Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) issued a revised circular on Wednesday, replacing the earlier one from January 29. The recruitment will be conducted under the ‘8th NTRCA Recruitment Examination 2026,’ with applications open until April 4 at 11:59 p.m. and a test fee of 350 taka payable by April 5.

According to the revised notice, 9,708 positions fall under the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, 3,131 under the Directorate of Madrasa Education, and 112 under the Directorate of Technical Education. The recruitment exam will carry 100 marks, including 80 for MCQ, 12 for academic qualifications, and 8 for the oral test, with a passing mark of 40 percent. The exam is tentatively scheduled for April 18.

NTRCA stated that the final recommendations will be made through a fully automated system based on merit and institutional preferences using Teletalk Bangladesh Limited’s software. Previously paid fees from earlier applicants are being refunded after applicable deductions.

Traffic movement on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway slowed on Friday as the number of vehicles increased sharply on the Dhaka-bound lane. Passengers heading toward the capital and other destinations faced long waits at various points due to a shortage of available transport, causing significant inconvenience.

Police reported that although the number of vehicles toward Dhaka had risen considerably, no major traffic jams had formed. However, long queues at roadside fuel stations occasionally disrupted normal traffic flow. According to the Jamuna Bridge Authority, more than 46,000 vehicles crossed the bridge in the past 24 hours, generating over Tk 3.41 crore in tolls—more than double the usual amount.

The surge in traffic and toll collection indicates unusually high travel activity on the route, though authorities have not specified the reason for the increase.

The government has decided to establish a regional office of the National University to enhance the quality of education and ease access for students in northern Bangladesh. State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam announced the decision during a visit to the designated site near Mahasthangarh Shiladevi Ghat and the Karatoa River in Shibganj upazila of Bogura on Friday afternoon. He said the new office would eliminate the need for Bogura students to travel to Dhaka for university-related services.

During the visit, the state minister was accompanied by the National University director, Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ziaur Rahman, and Officer-in-Charge Md. Shahinuzzaman of Shibganj Police Station. Later, he held meetings with local officials, inspected development projects including the construction of a rest house and children’s park, and distributed grant cheques for the development of mosques, temples, and Eidgah grounds in the area.

The initiative aims to decentralize educational administration and provide better facilities for students in the northern region of the country.

A long line of vehicles formed on the Dhaka-bound lane of the Jamuna Bridge connecting highway on March 27, 2026, as people from northern Bangladesh returned to their workplaces after the Eid holidays. Traffic moved slowly or stopped intermittently, causing significant suffering for passengers. Bridge authorities attributed the congestion to heavy vehicle pressure and multiple local bus breakdowns on the bridge.

Executive Engineer Syed Riaz Uddin of the Jamuna Bridge site office said that vehicles from 22 northern districts use the bridge, and traffic volume has doubled compared to normal days. The high influx of vehicles has exceeded the bridge’s capacity, and frequent bus breakdowns have worsened the situation. Even a five-minute halt can create a five-kilometer traffic jam, occasionally forcing toll collection to pause. Police and bridge authorities are working to keep traffic moving.

Officer-in-Charge Amirul Islam of Jamuna Bridge West Police Station confirmed that Dhaka-bound traffic pressure remains heavy, while northbound traffic is relatively light.