Dhaka, July 1 -- Education Exodus: Falling Through the Cracks

Missing students: Over 724,000 candidates vanished from the higher secondary education ladder within just two years of clearing the SSC

Immediate exit: More than 180,000 successful SSC graduates never even enrolled in college, halting their education immediately

Technical stream hit hardest: The technical board suffered the worst decline, losing 54.58 percent of its cohort before final exam registration

Economic and social triggers: Experts blame severe unemployment, financial hardship, early marriages, and a loss of faith in academic value

For every student sitting down to write this year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations on Thursday, another story remains...