SSC exams held with candlelight due to load-shedding

Students at a centre in Mithapukur upazila, Rangpur, were forced to take their SSC examination by candlelight due to load-shedding, causing extreme frustration among examinees and their parents.

The incident occurred around 11:00 am on Sunday, April 26, at the Payraband Begum Rokeya Smriti Girls' School and College centre, where students were seen taking their exams in various rooms lit only by candles.

According to the Upazila Secondary Education Office, 854 students were taking the English First Paper exam across 17 rooms at the centre. However, due to a power outage since morning, they had no choice but to sit for the test in near-darkness.

Centre Secretary and institution principal Mahedul Alam said uninterrupted power supply was supposed to be ensured at the exam centre, but the problem was not resolved despite repeated requests to the electricity department. When a storm and rain began later, arrangements were made for larger candles to continue the exam.

Rangpur Palli Bidyut Samity-1's manager, Mohammad Ashraf Uddin Khan, said the centre was connected to the Rangpur grid line, which developed a fault, cutting off the power supply. Efforts were made to provide an alternative connection from the Shathibari grid, but that was not possible until the afternoon.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Parvez said the centre authorities did not inform him about the situation in time, which was a mistake. When they did inform him later, he quickly contacted the electricity department.

The UNO further said instructions are being given to arrange alternative lighting such as LED lights, charger lights, and candles at every centre to avoid such situations in the future.

Students and parents expressed deep anger over the incident, saying such a situation in a major public examination is unacceptable and those concerned should have been more responsible.