Chattogram HSC ICT Exam Postponed Amid Flood Crisis

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) examination scheduled for Saturday, 11 July, under the Chattogram Education Board has been postponed across five districts due to severe weather conditions and the worsening flood situation.

The decision was announced in an emergency notice issued on Friday, 10 July, signed by the Controller of Examinations of the Chattogram Education Board, Professor Md Parvez Sajjad Chowdhury. According to the notice, persistent heavy rainfall, adverse weather and deteriorating flooding in several areas have made it impossible to ensure the safe movement of candidates and the smooth conduct of the examination.

The postponed paper is the ICT examination (Subject Code: 275). Education authorities confirmed that the examination will be held on a revised date, which will be announced officially once conditions improve. Candidates have been advised to remain attentive to future announcements regarding the updated examination schedule.

The postponement applies to every examination centre operating under the Chattogram Education Board in the five districts of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Board officials stressed that the revised timetable will be published in due course to prevent confusion among students, guardians and educational institutions.

Recognising that widespread flooding and power outages have disrupted transport and communication networks across many affected areas, the board has taken additional measures to ensure the announcement reaches all candidates. Officials in charge of examination centres have been instructed to publicise the postponement through loudspeaker announcements in their respective localities. This step has been considered necessary because electricity failures and interruptions to internet services in several flood-hit regions mean that many students may not have immediate access to online notices.

This marks the second postponement of HSC examinations by the Chattogram Education Board during the current examination session for the same reason. Earlier, examinations scheduled for 8 July under the board had also been suspended because of severe weather and flooding. As conditions have not improved significantly, the authorities have once again opted to postpone an examination in the interest of public safety.

Continuous rainfall and runoff from surrounding hilly areas have led to extensive waterlogging, flooding of low-lying communities and disruptions to road transport across different parts of the Chattogram Division. Reports from affected districts indicate that travel has become increasingly difficult, while a number of educational institutions in flood-affected areas have temporarily suspended regular academic activities because of the ongoing emergency.

Education officials believe that proceeding with the examination under such circumstances could have prevented many candidates from reaching their examination centres safely and on time. Ensuring equal access for all examinees and maintaining the integrity of the public examination process were key considerations behind the decision.

The Chattogram Education Board reiterated that the welfare, safety and academic interests of students remain its highest priority. Once the weather improves and floodwaters recede sufficiently to restore normal transport and communication, a revised examination schedule will be published and the postponed ICT examination will be conducted accordingly.