The High Court (HC) on Tuesday stayed the recruitment process for the post of assistant teacher at government primary school under Dhaka and Chattogram divisions for six months due to alleged question paper leakage in the written test held on March 29 this year.
An HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolan also ordered the authorities concerned to look into allegations of the question leakage after hearing a petition filed by 16 teacher aspirants.
As a result, the recruitment of the assistant teachers got stuck.
The court also issued a rule seeking an explanation from the authorities concerned why the failure or inaction in holding a fair examination for the appointment of assistant teachers would not be declared beyond legal authority.
Moreover, the HC sought to know why directives wouldn’t be given to hold fresh examinations as per the previous circular issued on June 14 last year.
Secretary to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry and Director General of Directorate of Primary Education were made respondents to the rule asking to reply within four weeks.
Lawyer Barrister Syed Sayedul Hoque Suman represented the petitioners in the court while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy stood for the state.
Counsel Suman said the question paper of the third phase of the government primary school assistant teacher recruitment test was leaked and many students took the test in this leaked question.
The results of the test have already been published. Because of this, the published results have also been questioned. Some examinees from Dhaka and Chattogram filed a writ petition with the court seeking a stay on the investigation and examination process, he said.
The results of the written (MCQ) examination for the post of assistant teacher in government primary school were published on April 21. The revised results of the written examination were published the next day and its viva test started on May 9.
On April 25, a national daily circulated saying “Solve in Dhaka, leaked in Madaripur: Primary Teacher Recruitment Test’’.
Later, 16 teacher aspirants who sat for the written test filed the writ petition while the court held the hearing on Tuesday.