HSC Exam Candidates Decline in Chittagong City as Rural Participation Rises
Photo Collected
The Chittagong Education Board is preparing for the 2025 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, scheduled to commence on July 2 with the Bengali first paper. A total of 99,688 students from 283 colleges across Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, and the three hill districts are registered to sit for the exams this year, marking a modest decline of 3,287 candidates compared to the 102,975 students who participated in the previous cycle.
Regional data highlights a significant demographic shift between urban and rural centers. While the Chittagong metropolitan area saw a sharp decline of 11,797 candidates—with female participation alone dropping by 6,798—the surrounding sub-districts experienced a contrasting surge. Rural Chittagong registered an increase of 10,824 students, including a rise of 6,830 female candidates. Across the entire Chittagong district, the net decline in student participation stands at 973, bringing the total number of candidates to 70,974.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Board officials noted that the humanities department experienced the most pronounced drop in enrollment, contributing significantly to the overall decrease in male examinees, which fell by 2,808 across the five-district jurisdiction. Despite the fluctuations in student numbers, the number of participating educational institutions has increased from 277 to 283. Conversely, the number of examination centers has been slightly reduced from 115 to 114, following the closure of one center within Chittagong district.
As reported by the local press, examination controller Md. Parvez Sajjad Chowdhury stated that the board has finalized all logistical preparations, including the mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in every examination venue. To ensure the integrity of the testing process, the board has commissioned 23 vigilance teams, comprising 15 general and eight special monitoring units. Regarding the notable decline in urban student numbers, board officials indicated that formal research would be required to determine the specific socioeconomic or educational factors driving the shift.
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Beyond the district of Chittagong, current registration figures show 12,255 students in Cox’s Bazar, 7,353 in Khagrachari, 5,439 in Rangamati, and 3,667 in Bandarban.
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