Digital cheating in public exams to become criminal offence under new bill

Bangla Press Desk:  Parliament on Tuesday passed an amendment to the country’s public examinations law, introducing penalties for digital manipulation and the online leakage of question papers, with offenders facing up to five years’ imprisonment and fines.

The Public Examinations (Offences) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed by voice vote after lawmakers disposed of motions seeking public opinion and referral of the bill to a select committee. Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon placed the bill before the House for passage.

The amended law specifically criminalises the leakage of public examination question papers through online platforms or by any other means. Under the new provisions, offenders may be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison along with a monetary fine.

Previously, the maximum punishment for question paper leaks under the existing law was 10 years’ imprisonment. The amendment also reduces penalties for several other offences.

The bill introduces a legal definition of “digital manipulation,” covering unauthorised access to, hacking of, alteration, modification, deletion or concealment of data in public examination databases. Anyone found guilty of such offences will face up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine.

The legislation also prescribes a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine for entering or attempting to enter an examination centre with prohibited electronic devices or for violating lawful instructions related to the conduct of public examinations.

In addition, the amended law provides that anyone who enters into, or attempts to enter into, a written or verbal agreement with an examinee or another person on behalf of an examinee to facilitate cheating in a public examination will be liable to a maximum of five years’ imprisonment and a fine.

The amendment also includes provisions to punish unfair evaluation of answer scripts, aiming to strengthen transparency and accountability in the public examination system.

The bill introduces penalties for the unfair evaluation of answer scripts. Under the new provisions, any examiner found guilty of over-assessing or under-assessing a public examination answer script will be liable to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. Such over- or under-assessment must be determined through a review by a third examiner.