Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has said this year, the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations will begin on November 1.
The minister made the statement while speaking to reporters after a National Monitoring Committee meeting at the Secretariat on Monday, adding that candidates will have to enter examination centres 30 minutes before the start of the test.
A total of 2.6 million students will be sitting for the examinations.
Nahid also said if the students fail to turn up by the stipulated time, they will not be allowed to sit for the day's exam.
Multiple question sets will be issued, and these will be distributed after a lottery five minutes before the beginning of each exam, he added.
The education minister also said in order to avoid question paper leaks and possible rumours, law enforcement agencies are taking the strictest possible measures. "Every examination centre as well as social media will be monitored for leaks or rumours."
No electronic devices will be allowed in the vicinity of the examination hall while students are involved in the examination process. Even invigilators will be subjected to the rule, and will remain under surveillance, the minister said.
He also said 47 cases have so far been filed,with many people arrested, over question paper leaks.
Nahid urged guardians not to pay heed to such rumours.
Senior officials of the Education Ministry and representatives of education boards and law enforcement agencies were also present at the meeting.
