The examinations of the rest of the subjects of HSC and equivalent examinations will be held on half the number of questions.

The examinations will be delayed by another two weeks from the previously announced September 11.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud at the education ministry today.

Previously, the education boards had planned to resume HSC and equivalent examinations as per a new schedule from September 11.

But this schedule may be cancelled in the face of students' agitation. Examinees demand that the results of the examination be published based on the marks achieved in the exams they have already sat for.

Students say that the rationale behind this demand is that many students have been injured in the recent quota reform movement. Preparation has also suffered in the prevailing situation. Under these circumstances, HSC examinees say that they are not in a position to sit for the exams.

Fielding this demand, examinees staged a protest at the Dhaka Education Board on Monday.

After holding discussions with higher authorities, the controller of examinations of the Dhaka Education Board gave positive assurances about meeting students' logical demands.

HSC and equivalent examinations have already been postponed several times due to the unrest centring on the quota reform movement and subsequent anti-government protests.

At first, the HSC examination on July 18 was postponed indefinitely. The exams on July 21, 23 and 25 were later postponed as well.

Eventually, the examinations scheduled to be held between July 28 and August 1 were postponed too.

Later, it was decided that the HSC and equivalent exams will be conducted on a new schedule starting from August 11.

But that decision had to be cancelled as well.

A source in the education board said that after Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country, trunks containing question papers were damaged in attacks on police stations in different places in the country.

Because of this, the decision to take the exam from August 11 had to be postponed.