A total of 6,583 candidates were absent on the first day of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations while 23 students were expelled for resorting to unfair means.

Eight education boards, one Madrasa Education Board and one Technical Education Board are conducting the month-long SSC, Dakhil and SSC vocational examinations for 2011 with the examinees taking Bangla First Paper examination on the first day yesterday.

Among the expelled students, nine are from Madrasa Board; five from Technical Board; three each from Dinajpur and Dhaka Boards; one each from Rajshahi, Jessore and Barisal Boards, according to the education ministry control room.

This year the total number of examinees under ten education boards is 13,15,002, which is around 1.08 lakh more than the last year's. Some 6,78,293 male and 6,36,709 female students from 26,297 educational institutions are taking part in the exams in 2,181 centres across the country.

Apart from having the highest number of

expelled students, Madrasa Board also had the highest number of absentees on the first day of the exam. Some 3,367 students did not take part in the exam from this board alone.

Of the rest of the absentees, 862 are from Dhaka board; 630 from Jessore; 405 from Comilla; 380 from Technical; 311 from Rajshahi; 266 from Dinajpur; 147 from Barisal; 138 from Chittagong and 77 from Sylhet boards.

But there was no report of disturbance from any centres across the country.

The examinees said the question was easy and they did not feel any problem in yesterday’s exam.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited Mohammadpur Government High School and Lalmatia Girls High School centres in the capital and expressed satisfaction over the peaceful atmosphere there.

He said the government is earnestly trying to ensure a safe, peaceful, and copying-free atmosphere in the exam centres, and a sign of that atmosphere is being witnessed in the exam centres.

The examinees would sit for Bangla Second Paper exam tomorrow.