United News of Bangladesh

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Saturday said the government would not be distracted from its responsibilities by trolling or criticism, asserting that its priority is to ensure quality education for the nation. "Those who trolled me are not examinees. We did not see students from institutions like City College, Ideal College or Viqarunnisa taking part in the movement. A group of people tried to create havoc by misleading others," he said. "Whatever the trolling or criticism, no one will be able to divert us from our responsibilities. He made the remarks while addressing the inauguration ceremony of academic activities at Naogaon University as the chief guest at the Naogaon Sadar Upazila Auditorium. Earlier, he unveiled the nameplate of the university's temporary campus in the city's Barunkandi area. Referring to his previous tenure as state minister for education during the 2001-2006 BNP-led government, Milon said he had then served under former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and is now serving under Tarique Rahman. "How can anyone think I would be instructed to tolerate wrongdoing? Certainly not. Everyone should remain committed to their duties. We must continue education and improve its quality," he said. Explaining the recent decision to delay the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination by one hour in Cumilla due to waterlogging, the minister said the step had been taken on humanitarian grounds in the interest of examinees. He also urged the media to act responsibly in preventing the spread of rumours about question paper leaks and criticised misleading campaigns on social media regarding the examination system. "Without examinations, it is not possible to properly assess merit or award certificates," he said. Describing Naogaon University's journey as a new opportunity for higher education, the minister said academic activities had begun with 80 students and that initiatives would be taken to shift the university to its permanent campus as soon as possible. He also stressed the need to establish an international-standard School of Agriculture at the university to meet local demands. The programme was chaired by Naogaon University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Hasanath Ali. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed, UGC member Prof Dr Abdullah Al Mamun, Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Faridul Islam, National University Vice-Chancellor Dr ASM Amanullah, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Director Prof Dr Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel, lawmakers from Naogaon-2, Naogaon-3, Naogaon-4, Naogaon-5 and Naogaon-6 constituencies, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Islam and Superintendent of Police Mohammad Tarikul Islam, among others, attended the event. Naogaon University was established in 2023. In December 2025, the UGC approved the opening of two departments-  Law, and Accounting and Information Systems. Student admissions for the 2025-26 academic session have already been completed, and academic activities officially began with Saturday's inauguration.

Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon on Wednesday announced that HSC examinees who were unable to attend examinations due to adverse weather or other unavoidable reasons will be allowed to sit for the missed papers. Making a statement in Parliament under Rule 300, the minister said the special arrangement has been made considering the importance of the HSC examination in students' academic lives. He said a total of 12, 70,583 candidates are taking the HSC and equivalent examinations this year at 2,697 examination centres across the country. The minister said examinations have already been postponed in five districts under the Chattogram Education Board- Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban due to heavy rainfall and adverse weather condition. He added that apart from tChattogram Education Board, some candidates in Dhaka and several other districts were also unable to sit scheduled examinations because of inclement weather and various unavoidable circumstances. "Candidates who could not participate in any subject of the ongoing HSC and equivalent examinations due to adverse weather or other unavoidable reasons will be allowed to sit those examinations on the same date and at the same time fixed by the Education Ministry for the already postponed examinations under the Chattogram Education Board," the minister told Parliament. He said the examinations would be held using identical question papers for the relevant subjects. The minister also updated Parliament on the controversy surrounding the Physics First Paper examination. He said the officials responsible for preparing the erroneous question paper have already been suspended . Reiterating the government's assurance to examinees, Milon said all candidates would receive full marks for Questions 6 and 7 of the Physics First Paper, where errors were identified. He said the government remained committed to ensuring that no student would be affected because of mistakes in the examination process or circumstances beyond their control.  

Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Tuesday said the government may arrange re-examinations if Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees were unable to sit their exams due to flood or administrative shortcomings. "These students are our future. Under no circumstances can we deprive them of their rights, and we will not do so," he said replying to a supplementary question from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Shafiqul Islam, elected from Patuakhali 2 in Parliament. He said the Education Ministry has been maintaining continuous monitoring of examination centres across the country throughout the monsoon season. The minister said whenever floodwater entered an examination centre, local administrations were instructed to shift the venue immediately to ensure that candidates could take their exams without disruption. "So far, only one college, Cumilla Government College, has presented a significant challenge after its grounds were inundated," the minister said, adding that in a handful of other cases where water entered examination centres authorities promptly relocated the venues and ensured that students received the necessary facilities. Milon said the government remains deeply concerned about the examinations and is determined to ensure that no student is deprived because of the natural disaster. He said if any student was unable to sit an examination due to administrative shortcomings after floodwater entered an educational institution, the government would review the matter and could arrange a re-examination if necessary. "We have already adopted such a measure under the Chattogram Education Board and that option remains available," he told Parliament. The minister urged students to return to their studies, assuring them that the government was even more concerned than they were about conducting the examinations properly despite the disaster. He reiterated that provisions exist to hold re-examinations wherever mistakes or shortcomings prevented candidates from taking their tests.

A section of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees staged demonstrations and blocked roads in parts of the capital on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon over the continuation of examinations amid adverse weather and alleged errors in question papers. The protesters began demonstrations around 11:30am at Science Laboratory intersection and almost simultaneously in Uttara, causing major disruptions to traffic and suffering for commuters. Earlier, a group of examinees announced blockades at several locations including Science Laboratory intersection, Shahbagh, Uttara and Mirpur through a social media platform named “Shikkharthi Oikya” (Student Unity), demanding the minister’s resignation.

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.

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Sunday said the government is committed to ensuring the prompt payment of retirement and welfare benefits to retired teachers and employees of private educational institutions, aiming to clear the existing backlog within six months once the required funds are allocated. Responding to a question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Abdul Wares (Gaibandha-5) in Parliament, the minister said around 67,000 applications for retirement benefits are currently pending with the Non-Government Teacher Employee Retirement Benefits Board. He said each retired teacher or employee receives an average retirement benefit of about Tk 13 lakh. According to Milon, settling all pending applications requires approximately Tk 8,710 crore, while the retirement fund currently holds only around Tk 1,300 crore, leaving a shortfall of nearly Tk 7,410 crore. He also informed the House that about 45,000 applications have remained pending with the Non-Government Teachers and Employee Welfare Trust since August 2023 to June 21, 2026. The minister said clearing those applications will require a one-off allocation of around Tk 3,150 crore. He said the government has already initiated measures to address the financial crisis facing both the retirement benefits board and the welfare trust by arranging the necessary budgetary allocation. Milon said several administrative reforms have also been undertaken to speed up the settlement process, including reactivating the software system, increasing manpower, expanding online services and introducing direct payments to teachers' and employees' bank accounts through the iBAS++ financial management system. "If the necessary funds are allocated, it will be possible to dispose of all currently pending retirement benefit applications within six months," he told Parliament. The minister added that the government's long-term objective is to ensure that retired teachers and employees of private schools, colleges and madrasahs receive their retirement and welfare benefits within three to six months after retirement. In his question, Abdul Wares highlighted the prolonged suffering of retired teachers of private schools, colleges and madrasahs who have been waiting for years to receive their retirement benefits, and asked whether the government will ensure payments within three to six months of retirement.

Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations will begin on January 7 while Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations will start on June 6 from next year. Education  Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon disclosed the schedule of the public examinations at a press conference on Thursday. SSC and its equivalent examinations will be concluded on February 6 while HSC and its equivalent examinations will end on July 13, next year, he said. “The SSC and HSC examinations are extremely important. Approximately 20 lakh students appear in SSC and equivalent examinations and 20 lakh in HSC and equivalent examinations. The education and future of these 40 lakh students are extremely important,” he said. “We are trying to synchronise the system in a way that gradually closes the gap where students lose nearly a year waiting for the SSC examinations and another year waiting for the HSC examinations. We are considering December as the end of the academic year and the examination month and we have been moving forward accordingly,” said the minister. This year, the HSC examinations will begin from July 2, he said. Asked when the results would be published, the minister said, “In 2001, I fixed the timeframe at two months. No one would be allowed to delay the results by even a single day beyond that. That practice is still being followed.” However, as the system has now become more advanced, the timeframe will be shortened further, not extended, he said. “I have made it clear in my remarks that we do not want to keep any gap between the publication of results and the admission process. We want students to get admitted immediately after the results are published,” he said.  

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Sunday warned of action against those spreading rumours over question paper leaks during the ongoing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations, urging students and guardians not to pay heed to misinformation. The government is being embarrassed by such rumours but remains vigilant to ensure that students do not suffer because of misinformation, he told reporters attending a programme organised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the capital. “We request students and guardians not to pay attention to rumours. We are alert. Even after official statements from the authorities, some people are still spreading rumours. Action will be taken against them,” he said. Referring to reports based on Telegram groups and social media posts, Milon criticised sections of the media for publishing unverified reports. “Before publishing reports based on Telegram groups, there should have been proper verification. One cannot rely on Facebook posts alone. Instant comments spread on Facebook like instant coffee. The media also has a responsibility,” he said. The minister said the government is satisfied with the overall environment of the ongoing SSC examinations. “So far, we are receiving positive feedback. We are satisfied, teachers are satisfied, students and examinees are also satisfied. We hope the remaining exams will also be completed smoothly with everyone’s cooperation,” he said. Highlighting the government’s education planning, he said the government is planning  ti designate December as the month for examinations and begin new academic sessions from January in order to minimise academic delays and session backlogs. “We believe December should be the examination month and new classes should begin from January so that there is no waiting time,” he said. Milon said coordination among education boards, universities and curriculum authorities would be strengthened to address the academic gap faced by higher secondary students and reduce session jams in university admissions. He said the authorities are working on aligning curricula, syllabuses and academic schedules to ensure timely completion of courses and smoother admission processes for students transitioning to higher education.

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Thursday told Parliament that the government has started the recruitment process to fill the vacant posts of assistant teachers in government secondary schools. “Currently, there are a total of 2,842 vacant posts of assistant teacher in government secondary schools across the country,” he said replying to a tabled question from Khelafat Majlis lawmaker Mohammed Abul Hasan (Sylhet-5) in the House. Earlier, the question-and-answer session was tabled by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, immediately after the Thursday’s parliament session started at 3:00 pm. The education minister said a list of vacant posts has already been prepared in order to address the shortage of teachers in government secondary schools. The necessary information has been sent to the Ministry of Education for sending a proposal to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) for recruitment, he said. “Through this an initiative has been taken to complete the recruitment process soon,” he added. On the other hand, to address the teacher shortage in non-government secondary schools and Alia Madradhsd, teacher recruitment process is ongoing by the Non-government Teacher Registration and Certification Authority. Through this, vacancies are being filled in phases, said Ehsanul Hoque. “So, by implementing the steps taken by the government, it will be possible to fill the vacancies in phases. Once the recruitment process is completed, the teacher shortage will be significantly reduced within a short period of time and the quality of education will improve,” he said. About the Madrashas, he said there are three government Alia Madrashas and 8,229 MPO-affiliated non-government Madrashas in the country. The number of vacant posts in government Alia Madrashas is 114, he said. In MPO-affiliated non-government Madrashas, there are 1,354 vacant posts of superintendent and 1,777 vacant posts of assistant superintendent. The process of filling these posts through NTRCA is ongoing, said the minister.

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Wednesday told Parliament that 2,839 villages across the country still do not have any primary school. “No, not every village in the country has a primary school. The number of villages without primary school is 2,839 throughout the country,” he said while replying to a tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker Joynal Abdin (Feni-2). The Minister said the number of villages without primary school is 717 in Dhaka Division, 818 in Chattogram Division, 355 in Rajshahi Division, 37 in Rangpur Division, 341 in Khulna Division, 45 in Barishal Division, 260 in Sylhet Division and 266 in Mymensingh Division. He said the government would take steps to establish schools in these villages if proposals are received, considering all necessary conditions. In reply to another tabled question from opposition (Jamaat) lawmaker Gazi Enamul Haque (Jashore-5), the education minister said there are 24,320 educational institutions under the Secondary and Higher Education Division throughout the country. Of these, the number of institutions without  building (structures) constructed with government finance is 4,059. But the government has been implementing the infrastructural development in the unprivileged educational institutions gradually, he said. Ehsanul Hoque said a decision was taken to construct Bhaban (structure) in one school, one collage and one non-government Madrasha or non-government technical educational institution in every constituency in the current fiscal year. Responding to a scripted question from ruling party lawmaker Md Salim Bhuiyan (Cumilla-2), the education minister said the total number of educational institutes that are not listed under the Monthly Pay Order (Non-MPO schools) is 6,179 in the country. Of these, 3,798 non-MPO institutions –2,712 schools, 223 schools and colleges and 863 colleges—are under the Secondary and Higher Education Division. The remaining 2,381 ones – 1,092 Madrasas and 1,289 technical institutions—are under the Technical and Madrasa Division, he said. Ehsanul Hoque said the government has been taking steps to gradually include non-MPO educational institutions in the education sector in order to spread quality education and ensure financial security for teachers and employees. In this regard, the decision to include institutions in the list of MPO is taken in the context of receiving applications, verification and selection as per the policies, and the necessary financial resources, he said. Govt is positive about non-MPO institutions: Ehsanul Hoque In reply to another scripted question from opposition (Jamaat) lawmaker Md Amir Hamza (Khustia-3), the Education Minister said the government is positive to include the non-MPO educational institutions in the list of MPO. He said the process to bring non-MPO educational institutions under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) system in phases to expand education and improve quality at the secondary and higher secondary levels across the country. Through this process, eligible and necessary institutions are being brought under the purview of government financial assistance, so that the stability in the education system, including the payment of teachers' salaries and allowances, can be ensured, he added. "The government is positive about the fresh inclusion of non-MPO schools and colleges in the MPO. However, the institutions are selected subject to proper compliance with the specific policies and conditions for MPO inclusion - such as number of students, results, infrastructure, number of teachers, geographical requirements," he said. Ehsanul Hoque said that necessary measures will be taken to gradually include non-MPO educational institutions that meet all the conditions, subject to the government's policy decision.