The authorities will take stern action against anyone attempting to leak this year's HSC exam question papers, Education Minister Dipu Moni has said.

The minister was speaking to reporters after visiting the Begum Badrunnesa Govt Girls College exam centre in Dhaka on Sunday, as the first of the tests was underway.

There had been an attempt to leak SSC exam question papers in Bhurungamari of Kurigram in an unusual way, Dipu Moni said, adding that the government had taken necessary measures after analysis.

Referring to a crowd of parents near the institution, she urged all guardians to leave the premises of exam centres after ensuring their children had entered them, so as not to inconvenience other examinees.

The minister also sought the help of local administrations to make sure that all coaching centres remained shut during the exams.

“Coaching centres are necessary now. There are so many students in classes that it is not possible for teachers to pay attention to all of them. But I hope students will not need to go to coaching centres when the new curriculum is in effect.”

The minister said the government had tried to hold the HSC exams in July-August but had to put it off due to the flooding in Sylhet.

If there were floods in any region next year, exams might be postponed only in that area, she added.

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent exams for the academic session 2021-22 started across Bangladesh on Sunday.

This year a total of 1,203,407 examinees are sitting for the exams. Of them 622,796 are boys and 580,611 are girls.