HSC examinees take to streets nationwide, demand education minister’s resignation
HSC examinees staged demonstrations in different partas including Dhaka, Savar, Barishal, Cumilla, Narayanganj, Jashore, Bogura, Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Tangail today, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon over the decision to continue the ongoing board examinations despite persistent rain and waterlogging.
The protesters alleged that the authorities ignored repeated calls to defer the examinations despite severe weather, while also raising concerns over errors and the difficulty level of question papers.
In Dhaka, students, joined by a few guardians, blocked the Science Laboratory intersection around 11:00am, disrupting traffic in the busy area. Additional police were deployed.
Chanting slogans such as "No politics in education" and "We want the education minister's resignation," the students said many candidates had to wade through knee- to waist-deep water and mud, while others travelled by boat to reach examination centres. They alleged that many examinees were delayed or unable to reach their centres on time due to flooding and waterlogging.
"We want the minister's resignation because he is not working for students' welfare. Instead, he called us 'farm chickens'," one protester said.
Another protester from BAF Shaheen College alleged that students were being forced to sit examinations despite errors in question papers and severe difficulties caused by waterlogging.
The protesters also demanded a public apology to teachers and students for what they described as administrative failures, an end to "experiments" with the examination system, and postponement of the remaining examinations until conditions improve.
Around noon, a police team led by an additional deputy commissioner of the Ramna Division asked the students to nominate a five-member delegation for talks with the relevant authorities. The students rejected the proposal and continued the demonstration before marching towards Dhaka University, where police stopped their procession near the VC Chattar.
After being driven away from the Dhaka University campus, the examinees marched to the Dhaka Education Board, where tensions flared after police stopped them at the entrance around 3:00pm. Some students hurled brick chips at the board building.
In Chattogram, HSC examinees from several colleges demonstrated and blocked the road in front of the Chattogram Education Board around 12:30pm, pressing the same demands. Along with the education minister’s resignation, they demanded postponement of the HSC exams until the flood situation and waterlogging in Chattogram and adjacent districts return to normal.
They also sought equal opportunities for all examinees, especially those from flood-affected areas who have lost study materials and access to electricity.
Witnesses said the blockade disrupted traffic in the surrounding areas for several hours. Board officials tried to calm the students, assuring them that their demands would be conveyed to the higher authorities
In Barishal, a group of HSC examinees blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway in front of the Barishal Education Board around 12:15pm, pressing similar demands.
The blockade at the Natullabad bus terminal disrupted traffic on 32 inter-district bus routes, including services between Dhaka and Barishal, causing long tailbacks on both sides of the highway and leaving passengers stranded.
The students also demanded reforms to the examination system and alleged that the question papers were unnecessarily difficult. The blockade continued until at least 3:00pm, when this report was filed.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Barishal Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sakhawat Hossain said police had tried to persuade the students to clear the highway.
"Initially they appeared to agree, but later they sat on the highway again. As a result, vehicular movement has remained suspended. We are trying to resolve the situation," he said.
In Cumilla, students held a peaceful rally demanding that the examinations be postponed because of floods and adverse weather.
The demonstration began at Pubali Chattar in Kandirpar before participants marched through the city's main roads carrying placards and banners.
The protesters said floods had submerged many homes, forced families into shelters and severely disrupted preparation for the examinations.
They also chanted slogans demanding the education minister's resignation and urged the authorities to announce a revised examination schedule.
Cumilla Adarsha Sadar Upazila UNO Fatema Tuz Johra visited the protesters and assured them that their demands would be conveyed to the relevant authorities before the programme ended peacefully.
In Narayanganj, HSC examinees gathered in front of the Shaheed Minar in Chashara around 11:00am, demanding suspension of HSC and equivalent examinations and fresh examinations for candidates who missed the July 13 tests because of floods and transport disruptions.
Anamika Chowdhury, school affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Student Federation, said many students had to wade through knee-deep water to reach examination centres and some had fallen ill after being drenched.
She also claimed that around 11,000 candidates were unable to sit yesterday's examination and demanded that they be given another opportunity.
The protest in Jashore began around 11:30am in front of the local Press Club and continued for nearly an hour on Monday.
A large number of HSC examinees from different colleges in the town joined the demonstration, chanting slogans against the education minister and demanding his resignation.
They warned of tougher protest programmes if their demands were not met.
Confirming the demonstration, Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Masum Khan said the students had held a peaceful rally in front of the Jashore Press Club.
"They did not create any untoward situation," the OC said.
In Savar, HSC examinees from Savar Government College blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at Pakiza Mor (Shaheed Yamin Square) for about an hour this afternoon, demanding the resignation of the education minister and suspension of HSC exams nationwide. The blockade, which began around 1:15pm, temporarily disrupted traffic before police requested the students to clear the road.
Confirming the incident, Savar Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Sawgatul Alam told The Daily Star, "HSC candidates blocked the highway at around 1:15pm and withdrew the blockade at about 2:00pm." He added, "Traffic movement on the highway has now returned to normal."
In Bogura, students blocked the Satmatha intersection, the city's main junction, around 1:30pm after authorities failed to respond to their demands. Earlier in the day, students from different colleges had also blocked the intersection before marching to the deputy commissioner's office and staging a sit-in.
According to the protesters, district administration officials assured them that their demands would be conveyed to the relevant ministry and urged them to return home.
The students, however, announced a four-point demand, including postponement of the HSC examinations until the flood situation fully normalises, a fresh opportunity for candidates who missed yesterday's examinations due to adverse weather, and the education minister's resignation within 24 hours.
Meanwhile in Mymensingh, HSC examinees briefly blocked the Town Hall intersection around noon, demanding the education minister's resignation over the decision to continue the examinations despite severe weather. Their banner read, “No safe environment, no exams; safety first. Our safety, our rights”.
The protesters also sought fresh examinations for candidates who were unable to take the tests due to heavy rain and waterlogging. Confirming the protest, Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Shebirul Islam told The Daily Star, "The students continued their peaceful agitation for half an hour. Traffic movement was interrupted during the agitation."
In Rajshahi, students from different educational institutions staged demonstrations in front of the Rajshahi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education before laying siege to its main gate around 11:00am. Later, they marched to Saheb Bazar Zero Point and blocked the intersection, demanding suspension of the remaining HSC exams, action over question paper errors, and the resignation of the education minister.
“We want to sit for the exams, but equal opportunity must be ensured for everyone. How can students from flood-affected areas take the exams?” said Ahnaf Tahmid, a student of Varendra College.
In Tangail, HSC examinees from several colleges blocked the northbound lane of the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at the Ashekpur Bypass area after marching from the Tangail Press Club through different streets of the town. Besides demanding the education minister’s resignation, they also called for question papers to be more syllabus-based and “education-friendly”, adequate preparation time before exams, and an end to politics in the education sector.
Tangail Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahin Mia told The Daily Star that the students withdrew the blockade around 2:45pm, after which vehicular movement returned to normal. He and Tangail Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muktar Ashraf had earlier gone to the spot and urged the protesters to clear the highway, citing the suffering of stranded passengers.
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