Students block road in Science Lab area demanding Education Minister's resignation
In a Nutshell:
- Students protested in Dhaka, demanding the Education Minister’s resignation over the decision to hold HSC exams during severe weather conditions.
- Many districts in the Chattogram division such as Cumilla are flooded with knee-to-waist-deep water after experiencing nearly a week of record-high rainfalls. Flooding disrupted transport and affected students’ ability to reach exam centres, with some candidates in Cumilla travelling through knee-to-waist-deep water.
- The protest came after the government postponed Chattogram Education Board exams but continued HSC examinations in other areas despite weather-related difficulties.
Why it Matters
The HSC exam controversy has exposed growing concerns over the Education Ministry’s handling of students’, teachers’ and guardians’ demands during a natural disaster that has claimed at least 50 lives and displaced communities across hard-hit areas. The Ministry’s decision to move forward with exams raised questions over how effectively public safety is being prioritised and why a consistent approach was not followed after exams were postponed in Chattogram but continued elsewhere.
- The situation has highlighted concerns over the absence of a uniform emergency response for public examinations, as students in some flood-hit areas were required to sit for exams while others, such as those under the Chattogram Education Board, received postponements.
- The decision to proceed with HSC exams despite widespread reports of flooding and travel difficulties has triggered public anger, with critics questioning whether preserving the exam schedule was placed above ensuring students’ safety and equal access.
- The issue has also shattered public confidence in education authorities, especially the Education Minister who failed to follow through with his previous statement about possibly postponing exams in Dhaka too if turbulent weather continued.
What We Think
The developments affect students, flood-affected communities, education authorities and health officials responding to the wider impact of the rainfall. The HSC exam controversy has emerged in the midst of authorities' failure to assess weather-related risks before holding national examinations during a broader flood emergency that is affecting access to education, public health and daily life.
- Students' safety and equal access to the right to sit for exams are being neglected as they wade through knee-to-waist deep waters to reach flooded exam centres where they have been forced to sit for exams in wet clothes.
- Education Ministry and examination board are facing criticism over the decision to proceed with HSC exams after initially saying decisions would depend on local conditions and student interests.
- Amidst severe flooding, cases of diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases have skyrocketed, making it an even bigger ask to want students to sit for exams in these conditions.
