Eight students of Khoda Box Secondary School in Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila were unable to sit for the Junior Scholarship Examination due to alleged negligence by the institution, despite submitting fees and required documents.
The affected students said the school collected examination fees, photographs and registration papers but failed to complete their registration, leaving them without admit cards.
The students, from two sections of class eight, include Sadik Hasan, Toufik Hasan, Jannatul Sinthia, Tasnim Tabassum Mithila and Samia Islam among others.
They said they discovered the issue only after enquiring at the school, where they were informed that their registrations had not been processed.
Sadik Hasan had previously secured a talent pool scholarship in class five, while Jannatul Sinthia received a general scholarship, raising further concern among guardians about the missed opportunity.
Student Toufik Hasan said all eight students had submitted the required fees and documents and prepared for the examination, but learned on Thursday that their registrations had not been completed.
He said the headteacher later visited their homes to apologise after students protested at the school.
Sadik Hasan’s father Aminur Rahman said his son was a meritorious student who had a strong chance of earning a scholarship again this year.
He said he personally paid the examination fees at the school.
He added that an apology from the headteacher could not compensate for the loss of such a crucial academic opportunity caused by negligence.
Attempts to contact Khoda Box Secondary School Headteacher Asuduzzaman Lintu for comment were unsuccessful, as he declined to respond after initially saying he would speak later.
Jhenaidah District Secondary Education Officer Lutfar Rahman said a total of 4,341 students were registered for the Junior Scholarship Examination 2025 in the district, which began on Sunday.
He said the reason behind the failure to register any candidate from Khoda Box Secondary School would be investigated.
