The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations began yesterday with a total of 7,345 candidates absent in the exams.

Thirty-eight students and two teachers were expelled for resorting to unfair means during the examination.

Meanwhile, examinees at many centres complained of being given wrong question papers while others talked about hassles in getting admit cards, highlighting the mismanagement and irresponsibility on the part of the education board, centre secretaries and teachers on the very first day of the examinations.

Eight education boards, one madrasa education board and one technical education board are conducting the month-long SSC, Dakhil and SSC vocational examinations for 2012.

This year, the total number of examinees under the ten education boards is more than 14.20 lakh.

Among the expelled students, 25 were from madrasa board; seven from technical board; two from Chittagong board and one each from Dhaka, Rajshahi, Jessore and Dinajpur boards, said the education ministry control room.

TWo teachers from Madrasa board were also expelled for helping examinees resort to unfair means during examinations.

Apart from having the highest number of expelled students, Madrasa board also had the highest number of absentees equalling to3,390 students.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited a centre in the city's Dhanmondi Government Boys High School.