College seeks exam fees from students who already passed

Candidates planning to participate in the next HSC and its equivalent examinations are busy filling out forms and paying exam fees, but a section of students who passed from Chattogram's Agrabad Mohila College in 2020 also received SMS from the institution seeking such payments.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the government automatically passed 800 students from this college last year – as part of a countrywide initiative. Such SMS notifications have caused much shock and surprise among the students and their guardians.

Following a link provided in the SMS, some of these students visited Chattogram Education Board's web portal and found their exam roll numbers listed as probable candidates, alongside a notice instructing them to pay fees. This has further deepened their confusion on the matter.

Though the college administration clarified to some guardians that the notifications were sent in error due to a server problem, the issue has kicked up a hornet's nest among the student community, and received attention from social media platforms as well, sources have said.

Jubayer Nadim, elder brother of one of the students named Nasrin Akhter, said, "A few days ago our father received a SMS notification from the Agrabad Mohila College, asking us to pay Tk1,170 as form fill-up and exam fees for my sister.

"We were very surprised after receiving that message. My sister Nasrin had already passed HSC under the government mandated process, and collected a testimony from her college. She is now preparing to get admission at a university."

"This SMS has made our whole family nervous. We are now in doubt whether my sister has passed the HSC exam or not," he added. According to sources, hundreds of students just like Nasrin have received such SMS notifications from this college.

Sultana Razia, who is currently preparing for admission tests at universities, said, "After I received the SMS, my father contacted my college. The college administration told him that the SMS notification was delivered to me because of a server problem.

"We are still worrying about the issue, as I found my roll number in the Chattogram Education Board's website, listed as a possible HSC candidate."

Clarifying the matter, Agrabad Mohila College's Principal Krishna Kumar Datta said, "Many students are not satisfied with their results after passing HSC automatically last year. Every college makes a probable list of students who received below GPA-5.

"This list allows dissatisfied students to participate in the same exam again, and improve their results in the process. Alongside fresh candidates, the institution also sent SMS notifications to students who are on the probable list, and it does not impact their existing results in any way."

Commenting on the matter, Chattogram board's Controller of Examination Narayan Chandra Nath said, "The Agrabad Mohila College authorities have to bear full responsibility for this debacle.

"They sent SMS notifications to students who did not even apply to improve their results. The Chattogram Education Board website has their roll numbers listed as probable HSC candidates because this college provided it."

Such a blunder is sure to trigger unrest among the student community, he added.