Students besiege Dhaka Board demanding Education Minister's resignation
Students protesting in front of the Dhaka Education Board—Photo: Collected
Agitating students have demanded the resignation of Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon in protest of holding the HSC exam yesterday, Monday, amid continuous rain and waterlogging. Since Tuesday morning, they have been blockading roads, staging demonstrations, and holding rallies across various parts of the country.
The students alleged that there were errors in the Physics exam question paper. They also claimed the questions were excessively difficult, asserting that the uniform question paper was much tougher compared to previous years.
Around 2:45 PM, the students gathered and positioned themselves in front of the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board in Bakshibazar. There, they chanted slogans demanding the Education Minister's resignation, while also shouting "Bhua, bhua" (fake, fake).
At one point, some individuals threw brick chips, and there was pushing and shoving at the board's entrance gate. Law enforcement personnel were deployed at the scene.
Earlier in the morning, students blockaded the Science Lab intersection in the capital. They later marched toward the Dhaka University VC square, where they were obstructed by the police. Following this, they proceeded to the Education Board via the Palashi intersection.
In Uttara, students blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in front of the BNS Center, bringing traffic to a complete standstill. A traffic department official from Uttara confirmed the situation.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka-Barishal highway was blocked in Barishal, and the Mymensingh-Tangail highway was blocked in Mymensingh. In addition, students staged protest rallies in Cumilla, Bogura, and Mymensingh.
Students blocked Mirpur Road at the Science Lab intersection from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, staging a protest that halted traffic for an hour. Later, one group moved in front of Dhaka College, while another headed toward TSC, after which traffic movement on the road returned to normal.
Students from 12 to 15 colleges, including Dhaka City College, Dhaka Ideal College, Government Bangla College, Siddheswari Girls' College, Lalmatia School and College, Rajarbagh Police Lines School and College, and BAF Shaheen College, participated in the blockade.
During the protest, students chanted various slogans, including "One point, one demand—resignation of the Education Minister," "Who are you, who am I?—Farm chicken," and "Compromise or struggle? Struggle, struggle!"
Yasin Arafat, a student from Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College, said, "Out of eight questions in the Physics exam, two were incorrect. The remaining questions were as difficult as university admission tests. If anyone fails because of this, will the Education Minister take responsibility?"
Ahnaf Munzi, a student from Dhaka Ideal College, said, "Due to the adverse weather, many students could not reach the exam centers. Some fell on the way, while others had their admit cards ruined by rain. The Education Minister must also take responsibility for this. If he cannot consider the students' plight, they do not want such an Education Minister."
Rabbani Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Ramna Division, said, "Traffic in the capital returned to normal after the students cleared the road."
