DHAKA, Oct 29, 2025 (BSS) - The policy for the 2025 Ibtedayi (primary-level madrasa) class-IV scholarship examination has been published.

According to the policy, two categories of scholarships will be available for the students and up to 40 percent of students from each approved madrasa will be eligible to participate in the examination.

The Technical and Madrasa Education Division of the Ministry of Education published the policy on its website on October 26.

The policy, titled “Ibtedayi Grade-5 Scholarship Examination Policy-2025,” will guide all activities related to the examination.

According to the policy, a maximum 40 percent of fifth-grade students (based on cumulative evaluation results from grade four) at Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board approved madrasas will be eligible to sit for the scholarship examination. 

The National Steering Committee may revise this percentage from time to time. Once registered, a student cannot appear for the examination from any madrasa other than the one they are enrolled in.

If the guardian of a student who is a government, semi-government, or autonomous organization employee is transferred to a new madrasa catchment area, and the student is duly enrolled in grade five, they may be permitted to sit for the examination. In such cases, students must apply to the head of the new madrasa with a transfer certificate from their previous institution and a copy of the guardian’s transfer order before registration.

If there is credible evidence of an external student taking the exam improperly, departmental action will be taken against the concerned madrasa head, and the student’s result will be cancelled if the allegation is proven.

Each subject will carry 100 marks, and the exam duration will be 2 hours and 30 minutes. Students with special needs will be given an additional 20 minutes.

For Bangla and English, the total marks will be (50+50) =100 with a total duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes. The two subjects will be held on the same day with separate codes and answer sheets.

For Mathematics and Science, total marks will be (60+40) =100, with a total duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes, also conducted with separate codes and answer sheets on the same day.

The examination will be held based on textbooks prescribed by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) for fifth-grade madrasas, following the question structure approved by the Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board.

Students must obtain at least 40 percent marks in each subject to qualify for a scholarship. Scholarships will be awarded based on merit and quota.

Offered two types of scholarships are (a) Talent Pool Scholarship(b) General Scholarship.

Fifty percent of all scholarships will be reserved for boys and fifty percent for girls. If eligible candidates are unavailable in one category, the quota will be filled by candidates of the opposite gender.

Under the Talent Pool Scholarship rules, awards will be distributed at the upazila (sub-district) and ward (city corporation) levels, based on merit order.

If no eligible candidate is found in a particular upazila or ward, the unfilled quota will be distributed based on district-level merit and published in a supplementary list.

The same process applies to General Scholarships, which will also be distributed at the upazila and ward levels. Any unfilled quota will be adjusted across districts and included in the supplementary list.

In case of a tie in total marks, priority will be given in the following order: Qur’an Majid, Arabic (First and Second Paper), Bangla and English, and Mathematics and Science. 
If marks remain identical across all subjects, all students with equal scores will receive the scholarship.

The board fee for each candidate will be Tk 400, and the center fee will be Tk 200 per candidate. All administrative and management expenses, including honoraria for examiners, must be met with the center fee.