Jagonnathpur Ideal College in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia has 14 teachers but failed to produce a single successful candidate in this year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination.
The college had only three candidates this year. Two of them remained absent, while the only student who appeared for the examination failed in English.
According to local sources and college authorities, the institution was established in 2004 but has yet to receive Monthly Pay Order (MPO) status, under which the government provides salary support to teachers and employees of eligible educational institutions.
Mujibar Rahman, principal of Jagonnathpur Ideal College, said they often had to visit villages to persuade students to enrol.
"The college is located near a char area. When we visit villages to encourage students to enrol, some are busy harvesting paddy, while others ask us to come later," he said.
He added that two of the three HSC candidates were absent this year, while the only student who took the examination failed.
A similar situation has been reported at Haji Nurul Islam College in Mirpur upazila, where none of the eight students who appeared for this year's HSC examination passed.
Established in 2000, the college also lacks MPO status and has 13 teachers.
Of its 15 registered candidates this year, seven remained absent, while the remaining eight appeared for the examination but failed to pass.
Shariful Islam, principal of Haji Nurul Islam College, said they had been working without salaries for 26 years.
"We have been working at this college for 26 years without any remuneration. We have never received a salary. This year has been a major setback for us. We often provide financial assistance to encourage students who have dropped out to return to education, but unfortunately, none of our students passed this time," he said.
Meanwhile, the overall pass rate in the 2026 HSC examinations under the Jashore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education stood at 44.92 per cent.
Of the 112,791 students who appeared for the examination, 50,668 passed, while 3,228 secured GPA-5.
Last year, the board recorded a pass rate of 50.20 per cent, with 5,995 students achieving GPA-5.
Both the pass rate and the number of GPA-5 achievers declined compared with the previous year.