Exam Cancelled Over Question Leak
5-member committee formed to probe leak and submit report in 3 days
- Youth Development Department cancelled the Assistant Upazila Youth Development Officer exam following social media question leaks
- Ministry formed a 5-member probe committee instructed to submit its report within three working days
- Over 300,000 candidates faced harassment, leading to widespread protests and road blockades across Dhaka
The recruitment examination for the 11th-grade post of Assistant Upazila Youth Development Officer under the Department of Youth Development has been cancelled following allegations of question paper leaks on social media platforms. To investigate the incident, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has formed a 5-member inquiry committee and instructed it to submit a comprehensive report within three working days.
The exam was called off just before its scheduled 11:00 AM start time on Saturday (October 10) after leaked question papers circulated online came to the ministry's notice. According to the official order, the Additional Secretary (Admin Division) of the Ministry of Youth and Sports will head the 5-member committee as convener, with the Deputy Secretary (Admin Branch) serving as member-secretary. Other members include Joint Secretaries from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a representative of Joint Secretary rank from the Ministry of Public Administration, and the Director (Seed Financing) of the Department of Youth Development. The committee will examine question formulation, printing, distribution, and record statements of involved personnel before submitting its findings within three business days.
The sudden cancellation triggered widespread anger among job aspirants who had traveled to the capital from across the country. Aggrieved candidates took to the streets, blocking major intersections including Nilkhet Point, Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, and the main road in front of Government Bangla College in Mirpur. Protesters raised slogans demanding a fair trial against the culprits, financial compensation for candidate harassment, and the resignation of the department's Director General.
More than 300,000 applicants were scheduled to sit for the exam across nearly 100 test centers in Dhaka for only 242 vacant positions. Candidates expressed deep frustration over systemic administrative failures, highlighting that question papers were leaked on social media the night before the examination. Law enforcement officials confirmed that while road blockades briefly disrupted traffic flow in parts of Mirpur and Nilkhet, the overall situation remained peaceful without any violence.
//DBTech/ AAP/ BPC/ DMO//
