HSC Students Block Roads in Dhaka, Demand Education Minister's Resignation
Students staged demonstrations at several locations in Dhaka on Tuesday, July 14, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon. The protests disrupted traffic after students blocked roads in Uttara and the Science Lab area of the capital.
A group of students gathered in front of the BNS Center in Uttara, where they held a march, formed a human chain and chanted slogans. Protesters also blocked roads at Science Lab, bringing traffic to a halt in the surrounding areas.
The demonstrators chanted slogans including "No politics with education" and "We want the Education Minister's resignation." They said the HSC examinations were being held without considering the difficulties faced by students across the country.
According to the protesters, heavy rainfall over the past several days caused widespread waterlogging in Dhaka and other areas. They said many HSC candidates had to travel through floodwater and mud to reach their examination centres. Some students reportedly reached their centres by boat.
The students said candidates had to sit for the examinations under both physical and mental pressure because of the conditions. They added that they had earlier called for the examinations to be suspended until waterlogging, flooding and poor weather no longer affected students.
The protesters claimed that their request was not considered by the Education Minister. They said this was one of the reasons behind their demand for his resignation.
Students also raised concerns about the Physics First Paper examination. They alleged that the question paper contained errors and questioned its overall standard. They said they did not oppose difficult examinations but believed students should be assessed fairly based on the conditions in which they prepared.
According to the protesters, the movement is based on a total of eight demands. These include a public apology from the Education Minister to teachers and students, an end to what they described as "experimentation" with public examinations, and the suspension of examinations until conditions at examination centres become suitable.
Reports also emerged of students staging protests in Bogura with the same demand for the Education Minister's resignation.
The demonstrations caused traffic disruption in parts of the capital. It was not immediately known whether the Education Ministry had responded to the students' demands.