Students at an SSC examination centre in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur were forced to take their examination under candlelight due to a prolonged power outage, triggering frustration among candidates and guardians.
The incident took place on Sunday (April 26) at the Pairoband Begum Rokeya Smriti Girls School and College centre, where students sat for the English First Paper examination.
According to the Upazila Secondary Education Office, a total of 854 examinees appeared in 17 rooms at the centre. However, the absence of electricity since the morning created severe difficulties for both students and examiners.
Eventually, the centre authorities were compelled to conduct the examination using large candles as an alternative lighting source, as rainfall and worsening weather conditions added to the challenge.
The centre secretary and principal, Mahidul Alam, said that although an uninterrupted electricity supply is mandatory at examination centres, repeated attempts to contact the electricity office failed to resolve the issue.
Officials from Rangpur Palli Bidyut Samity-1 stated that the disruption occurred after a transmission line connected to the Rangpur grid burned out, halting the power supply. Efforts were underway to restore electricity through an alternative grid connection.
Mithapukur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Parvez said he was not informed in advance about the situation by the centre authorities. After being notified later, he immediately contacted the electricity department to address the issue.
He further added that alternative arrangements, such as LED lights, candles, and rechargeable lamps, will be ensured in all examination centers in the future to prevent such incidents.
