Some 9,970 examinees were absent on the first day of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations in eight general education boards on Sunday.
Among them, the highest number of 2,601 students were absent from the Dhaka Education Board.
Apart from this, Rajshahi board recorded 1,508 absentees, Comilla 1,156, Jashore 1,328, Chattogram 975, Barishal 727, Dinajpur 1,013, and Mymensingh 662 on the first day.
A press release, signed by Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee President and Dhaka Education Board Chairman Professor Tapan Kumar Sarker, said this today.
Asked whether absence increased due to the rain, Prof Tapan Kumar told Jago News adverse weather might be a reason.
However, today 20 students under the eight education boards were expelled for adopting illegal means.
This year, the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations began on Sunday (June 30) with Bangla First Paper.
However, the exams in Sylhet division were postponed until July 8 for the flood situation.
AAH/MSU