Sabbath is a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Adventists also abstain from secular work, including writing, during daytime on Saturday.
This belief led Ricky Halder, a Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinee from the Perfect English Version School & College in Kumarkhali upazila under Jashore Education Board, to request the authorities concerned to arrange a special arrangement to take his exam at night on every Saturday and he eventually got his request granted.
This year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations are set to begin across the country on Saturday.
Ricky will sit for three-hour Bangla exam at Kumarkhali MN High School centre from 6pm instead of 9am when all other examinees will appear at the test.
However, the student will have to enter the exam centre together with other examinees by 8:30am so that no one can share the question paper with him.
Similarly, Ricky will appear at the Math, Chemistry and Science tests on February 9, February 16 and February 23 respectively, all Saturdays, at night, the first such case in history of the board.
Contacted, Controller (Exam) of Jashore Board Madhab Chandra Rudra said they decided to allow Ricky to sit for tests on Saturdays following a petition filed by him.
Centre Secretary of Kumarkhali MN High School centre Firoz Mohammad Bashar said they made arrangements for taking Ricky’s tests at night following the board’s instruction.
He said the student will have to enter the exam centre together with other examinees 30 minutes before the exam starts at 9am.
He will be kept in a room where he will do all of works, including taking meals, until the examination begins at 6pm. “The examinee will walk out of the exam centre on completion of his test at 9pm,” Bashar said.
Both of Ricky’s father Ripon Halder and mother Trishna Halder are teachers of English medium school Adventist International Mission School of Kushtia.
Ricky is basically a student of this school. But he is taking part in the SSC examination under science group from Perfect English Version School as the English medium school is yet to be registered.
His only daughter, Rakhi Halder, is a Class-V student.
Ripon Halder said Ricky secured letter grade ‘A’ in his Junior School Certificate examination.