In an extraordinary display of academic failure, all twelve candidates who sat the Dakhil examination from Bairati Senior Alim Madrasa in Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj Upazila have failed, despite the institution boasting a teaching staff of twenty educators.
The dismal outcomes came to light on Monday, 10 August, following the publication of the official result sheet by the Ishwarganj Upazila Secondary Education Office. The sheer disparity between staff numbers and student performance has sparked fierce debate over institutional accountability, teacher attendance, and academic oversight across the district.
Severe Outrage Over Staff-to-Student Ratio
News of the zero-percent pass rate spread quickly on Monday morning, triggering sharp resentment among local guardians, community leaders, and civil society advocates. Outraged residents questioned how an educational establishment employing twenty teachers could fail to prepare a class of just twelve candidates for national public examinations.
In rural Bangladesh, secondary-level institutions operating under the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board often face scrutiny regarding educational standards, but a complete failure rate under such a favourable teacher-student ratio remains exceptionally rare. Local observers pointed out that with more than one teacher available per candidate, the institution should have delivered tailored academic care rather than total collapse.
Grievances raised by local guardians centered on whether teachers were actually conducting daily lessons or simply drawing salaries without fulfilling their instructional duties. Community members have called upon education authorities to launch an immediate administrative enquiry into the daily attendance logs of both staff and pupils.
Principal Cites Irregular Attendance
Addressing the comprehensive academic failure, the Principal of Bairati Senior Alim Madrasa, Mohammad Shahjahan, defended his teaching staff whilst attributing the outcome to poor student attendance and historical institutional challenges.
“The students simply did not attend classes regularly. We made every effort to prepare them, but their absenteeism undermined our work. The madrasa previously suffered from severe staff shortages and structural deficiencies, though new teachers were recently recruited to address those gaps. We are determined to deliver far better results next year.”
— Mohammad Shahjahan, Principal, Bairati Senior Alim Madrasa
Despite the principal’s explanations, critics remain unpersuaded, asserting that school management should have intervened much earlier if student absenteeism was so rampant as to guarantee failure.
Attempts to reach the Ishwarganj Upazila Secondary Education Officer, Mohammad Ashraful Islam, for official comment on potential disciplinary or investigative action were unsuccessful, as his mobile phone remained powered off throughout the afternoon. Local groups continue to demand that the Ministry of Education step in, conduct a transparent investigation into the madrasa’s management, and hold responsible parties accountable.
