The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations will begin across the country on April 1.

A total of 10,12,581 examinees will sit for the exams under 10 education boards, said Nurul Islam Nahid, education minister, during a press briefing at his secretariat office Thursday afternoon.

This year 84,767 more examinees will sit for the exams than last year, the minister said.

During the briefing, the minister urged the opposition party men not to launch any political programme that could affect the exams scheduled and academic activists.

He also criticised the opposition parties as they did not entertain his request that he had made prior to the beginning of the SSC examinations.

The minister like today urged the oppositions to refrain from staging any types of political programme during the SSC examinations.

A total 8,23,261 examinees will sit for the HSC examinations under eight general education boards.

The written examinations will end on May 28 while the practical examinations will continue from June 1 to June 24.