Dhaka University (DU) postponed the results of the Gha unit admission test for the first-year honours courses for the 2018-2019 academic session on Monday amid allegations of question paper leak.
At 10:49am on Monday, DU authorities issued a press release saying that the results will be published today, but sent another at 1:19pm saying that said the results were postponed.
The second statement issued by the DU Public Relations Office said: “According to the vice-chancellor’s instructions, the previous press release has been cancelled. We deeply regret the mistake. The date of the results will be announced later.
“The release of admission test results of DU’s Gha unit has been postponed due to wrong information sent by the assignment officer of the vice-chancellor’s office.”
After the question leak allegations arose, DU authorities rejected them and the DU proctor told the journalists on Friday that it likely to be digital forgery and not ‘question leak’.
On Saturday, authorities formed a three-member committee to investigate the alleged entry tests question leak of the 'Gha' unit under the Social Science faculty.
The committee was asked to submit the report within 48 hours.
DU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Akhtaruzzaman speaking to journalists said: “We will take a further decision regarding the admission test after receiving the report from the probe committee.”
Also Read- Six arrested in second Digital Security Act case for leaking questions
Dhaka University on Friday held the admission test for its Gha unit, under the social science faculty. However, question leak allegations surfaced sometime after the exam began.
The Gha unit admission test began at 10am on Friday, and an anonymous source sent a message to journalists, claiming the questions were leaked before the exam, at 10:31am.
The message included 14 pictures of various, handwritten multiple choice questions (MCQs) with answers. The source alleged that these MCQs were leaked to some admission seekers through social media at 9:17am, 43 minutes before the commencement of the exam.
After scrutinizing the images and comparing them to the question paper distributed at the exam halls, this correspondent found that 72 MCQs in the images matched the actual exam script. Of the total 100 MCQs, 19 questions in the Bangla section, 17 in the English section, and 36 in the general knowledge sectionmatched the images.
A screenshot also showed that the images were supplied to some admission seekers via Facebook Messenger and WhatsAppat 9:17am.
Law enforcers have found evidence that the hand-written question paper of DU Gha was circulated from two admission information centres in Bogra to an applicant’s parents.
Six individuals, including the admission seeker and his father, were arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident. Both of them have been taken on a two-day remand on Sunday.
On Saturday, DU’s Chief Security Officer SM Kamrul Ahsan filed a case with the Shahbagh Police Station accusing the six and some others, under sections 22(2) and 33(2) of the Digital Security Act, and the Public Examination Act’s section 13/4.
The case statement said that the questions were spread (not leaked) through digital devices prior to the exam.
Allegations of question paper leak in the Gha Unit admission test also surfaced last year after e-mails containing questions of the English part of the exam were sent to some admission seekers around seven hours before the exam.
Protests
Some students at DU protested with a banner saying “Students against Repression” on the campus in condemnation of the question leak; demanding a re-examination.
They also demanded the resignation of Social Science Faculty Dean Dr Sadeka Halim for her ‘failure’ to stop question leak of the Gha unit two years in a row.
While addressing the rally Abu Raihan Khan, a 3rd-year student of the Mass Communication and Journalism department and spokesperson of the platform said: “It is very clear that the Gha Unit questions were leaked. Many students had got the question paper before the exam started. Some journalists also provided the leaked questions to the university authority during the exam, who continuously denied the allegations.”
“The question leak allegation against this unit also arose on last year. But the coordinator of this Unit, Dr Sadeka Halim totally failed to prevent this re-occurrence and that is why we want her resignation,” he added.
They also held a procession through-out the campus.
