BANGLADESH

The first-ever combined medical and dental admission test was held on Friday amid tension and strict invigilation.

Head of the health directorate, Khondaker Mohammad Shefyetullah told that they had heaved 'a sigh of relief' after the 'peaceful' completion of the one-hour multiple-choice-question (MCQ) examination at 11am in 19 centres across Bangladesh.

Tension ran high overnight as intelligence had arrested 20 people including medical students, a teacher of Jahangirnagar University and a doctor of Dhaka Dental College Hospital for taking money with the promise to supply question papers.

"They (intelligence) found a question paper from the racket. We checked it with the original one in the morning and became certain that it was fake," the director general said.

"But we suggested punishment of the racket," he said.

Health minister AFM Ruhal Haque visited several centres in Dhaka and told journalists afterwards that they would ensure punishment to those involved in the racket.

He also ruled out the possibility that questions might have leaked out.

Earlier, the test was deferred by a week from Sep 23 due to the arrest of a staff of the government press as he came out of his office premises with concealed question papers on Sep 13. Two other people were arrested in that case.

According to the director general, the arrest led to unprecedented security measures.

The health directorate's director general, Shefyetullah said, "We have printed new question papers." Intelligence agencies were also on alert before the exams, he said.

At least 101 health ministry officials including the minister, secretary and Shefyetullah went around the examination centres on Friday.

Some 51,236 candidates are competing for 2,760 seats in government medical colleges and 280 seats in dental colleges. Besides private medical colleges have 3,663 seats while dental colleges 765.

This was the first time that the health directorate collected admission forms online.

Shefyetullah hoped to publish the results online within four days.

"The admission will be completed based on their position and choice of institutions."