The percentage was 47.74 in 2004, 38.43 in 2003, 27.09 in 2002, 28.41 in 2001 and 37.05 in 2000.

As many as 4,15,088 students -- 238,295 boys and 176,793 girls -- appeared in this year's HSC examinations and 245,549 of them -- 143,293 boys and 102,256 girls -- passed.

Some 5,509 examinees secured the highest Grade Point Average (GPA)-5 against 3,036 last year. Among them, 2,804 are from Dhaka Board, 284 from Chittagong Board, 1,177 from Rajshahi Board, 492 from Jessore Board, 292 from Comilla Board, 108 from Sylhet Board and 151 from Barisal Board.

Pass percentages for boys and girls are 60.13 and 57.84 against 48.43 and 46.78 of last year. The HSC results of the seven boards were published yesterday under the grading system introduced in 2003.

Results of the Alim Examinations under Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board and HSC (Vocational), Business Management, and Diploma-in-Commerce Examinations under Bangladesh Technical Education Board were also published yesterday -- all under the grading system.

As many as 23 Alim examinees and two of Business Management students also secured GPA 5.

Education Minister Osman Farruk handed over the result sheets to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at her office. State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Huq Milon, Education Secretary Faruq Ahmad Siddiqi and the heads of the education boards were present.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction over better results this year compared to past few years, increase in the number of students getting GPA-5, falling number of expulsions for adopting unfair means, and also over considerable decrease in the incidents of cheating in the public examinations.

Khaleda expressed the hope the concerned administrators and teachers will keep up the trend and make more effort and carry out motivational activities for better result in future.

She also asked them to put emphasis on English education and suggested summoning the principals of the colleges, which did bad in the exams, to know the reasons and overcome the shortcomings.

The education minister said motivational as well as corrective measures are being taken after analysis of the results.

"Students are now taking at the examinations better prepared as they know public examinations are being held in a copying-free environment," he told the prime minister.

Rajshahi Board this year fetched the highest pass percentage of 65.93 and Sylhet Board the lowest of 44.40. Dhaka Board last year obtained the highest pass percentage of 53.60 and Barisal Board the lowest 36.42.

In Dhaka Board, 70,711 of the 132,120 examinees passed the exams with the pass percentage of 53.52. As many as 32,807 students took part in the exams in Chittagong Board and 18,061 among them passed at 55.05 percent against 43.73 of last year.

Among the 103,281 candidates under Rajshahi Board, 68,096 came out successful with a pass percentage of 65.93 against 45.23 in last year. As many as 68,214 students appeared in the exams under Jessore Board and 43,452 passed. The pass percentage is 63.70 against last year's 42.70.

Under Comilla Board, 20,550 examinees out of 34,218 passed with a success rate of 60.06 percent against 51.80 last year. Barisal Board had 27,343 candidates and 17,085 of them passed. The pass percentage is 62.48 against 36.42 last year.

As many as 17,105 students appeared under Sylhet Board and 7,594 came out successful with the pass percentage of 44.40 against last year's 46.69.

The percentage of pass is 64.74 in Alim Examinations against 41.40 last year, 30.98 in HSC (Vocational) examinations against 29.24 last year, 59.98 in Business Management examinations against 68.29 last year and 50.97 in Diploma-in-Commerce examinations against 74.55 last year.