Schoolteacher, staff held, 4 suspended

The arrested persons are teacher Mustafa Kamal and office staff Motahar Hossain Bali. They have also been suspended.

The other suspended persons are teachers Sujit Charoborty and Niranjan Chowdhury; office clerk Matiar Rahman and peon Dulal Kahhar of Baishari School; and Sirajul Huq and Sirajuddin, two examinees who were on duty at Baishari High School centre during the SSC examination.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The actions followed filing of a case by Golam Mahbub, secretary of the examination centre, with Banaripara police station on Tuesday.

The teachers and staff were suspended after the school Managing Committee at a meeting found their replies to show-cause notices "unsatisfactory".

The school authorities have formed a five-member inquiry committee headed by the headmaster of Banaripara Pilot High School for further probe. The committee has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.

Optical Mark Reading (OMR) identification of examination scripts of Mizanur Rahman, a poor but meritorious student, were changed with those of two other examinees -- Ziaul Huq and Sirajuddin.

As the SSC results were published, Mizanur Rahman failed but the two other students got 'A+'.

After re-examination and investigation, Mizan got 'A+' and results of the two others were cancelled.

As the scandal came to light, Barisal Education Board cancelled SSC examination centre at Baishari High School and barred its teachers and staff from duty in public examinations.