Primary scholarship exam: Results for 9 districts published early, probe committee formed

Although the results of the Primary Scholarship Examination for fifth-grade students at government primary schools were scheduled to be published today, Thursday, they were ultimately not released.

However, before the official publication, the results for nine districts in the Dhaka Division were uploaded to the designated links earlier today. Members of the public then accessed the links, downloaded the results and circulated them on social media.

Following the incident, the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) has written to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education seeking action against the official concerned. A probe committee has also been formed to investigate the matter.

The information was disclosed in two separate orders issued by the DPE.

According to one of the orders, the results of the 2025 Primary Scholarship Examination were finalised on 8 July. Assistant Maintenance Officer Md Mehtab Qayes was assigned to create the necessary links for uploading the results to the web portal. He had been instructed not to upload the results to the portal before their official publication through the proper authority.

However, at 10:00 am on 9 July (today, Thursday), the results for nine districts in the Dhaka Division were uploaded to those links. Members of the public accessed the results through the links and shared them on social media.

The order further states that the required security protocols for creating links and uploading information to the live server were not followed. As Mehtab Qayes is a ninth-grade government officer, the DPE has written to the Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, requesting appropriate action against him.

In a separate order, the DPE formed a three-member committee, headed by its director (planning and development), to investigate the unauthorised publication of the results and submit a detailed report. The committee has been asked to submit its findings within three working days.

Earlier, a DPE official, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said an "unfortunate" incident had occurred. He added that the results might now be published on Sunday.

This year, a total of 82,500 students will receive scholarships. Of them, 80 per cent are from government primary schools, while the remaining 20 per cent are from non-government primary schools and kindergartens. Scholarship recipients receive financial benefits under two categories: Talent Pool and General Grade.

The examinations were held from 15 to 18 April 2026 in all districts except the three hill districts. In the three hill districts—Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban—the examinations took place from 17 to 20 April under a separate schedule.

More than 640,000 students sat the examination this year, including around 550,000 from government primary schools and 90,000 from non-government primary schools (kindergartens).