Bangladesh, Oct. 31 -- A total of 40,084 students have secured the highest grade point average (GPA-5) in this year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations, down from 69,097 last year.

Female students account for 19,721 of the top scorers, while 20,363 are male.

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon unveiled the figures at the Secretariat on Saturday.

This year's exams began on July 2 and ended on August 8, with practical tests due to wrap up by August 15.

Natural disasters, however, forced the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Chittagong, to postpone some written papers.

After the postponed exams were held, the written tests finished on September 9.

Altogether, 1,270,583 students from 9,43...