Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Sunday placed the The Public Examinations (Offences) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in Parliament, aiming to strengthen legal measures against question paper leaks, cheating, fake certificates and technology-driven examination offences.
The bill was subsequently sent to the relevant parliamentary scrutiny committee for detailed examination, with the committee asked to submit its report within the next three working days.
According to the objective of the Bill placed before the House, the existing The Public Examinations (Offences) Act, 1980 was enacted about 45 years ago to prevent malpractice in public examinations, including cheating, question leaks, fabrication of certificates and other irregularities.
However, the Bill observed that the widespread use of technology and the growing trend of committing examination-related crimes through digital means have rendered several provisions of the existing law outdated.
The proposed amendment seeks to ensure a fair and malpractice-free examination environment by bringing offences committed through digital systems and online platforms within the legal framework.
The draft law received policy approval from the Cabinet on April 2, 2026. Following Cabinet directives, the draft underwent several rounds of revision, vetting and further amendments by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division and the Cabinet Division before receiving final Cabinet approval on June 18.
One of the key features of the proposed legislation is the inclusion and definition of the term “Digital Manipulation” to cover unauthorised access to examination databases through cybercrime, as well as any form of digital tampering.
The bill proposes a maximum punishment of five years’ imprisonment and fines for those found guilty of digital manipulation.
It also provides for stricter penalties and financial sanctions against individuals or groups involved in organised examination fraud or the formation of criminal networks to facilitate such offences.
The government said the amendment has become urgently necessary to address emerging challenges in safeguarding the integrity of public examinations in the digital age.