Students protest in front of the Parliament building over three-point demands

Students gathered outside the main gate of the National Parliament complex in Dhaka on Tuesday, staging a protest demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan, an apology to the nation and the rescheduling of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations.

The protesters reached the Parliament area after marching from the Science Lab intersection in the capital. They began their procession at around 5:15pm and arrived at the Parliament’s main entrance at about 6pm, where they took up a position and continued chanting slogans in support of their demands.

The demonstration came amid growing dissatisfaction among a section of HSC candidates over the examination schedule, question paper standards and difficulties caused by recent adverse weather conditions.

Earlier in the afternoon, around 5pm, HSC candidate Mohammad Miraj Hossain of Dhaka City College announced the students’ three-point demand programme at Science Lab. He said the Education Minister should resign by 6pm and apologise to the nation for what the protesters described as “inconsistent statements” regarding the ongoing examination-related issues.

The students also demanded that the examination held on 13 July be taken again, considering the difficulties faced by candidates who either attended the exam under severe weather conditions or could not reach their centres because of disruptions. They called for the postponement of the following day’s examination, the publication of a revised schedule and the preparation of question papers that would be more suitable for students.

Before moving towards Parliament, the students staged a second phase of demonstrations at the Science Lab intersection at around 3:45pm. The blockade disrupted traffic movement on the Mirpur Road, causing significant congestion in nearby areas. Commuters faced delays as vehicles remained stuck around the busy intersection.

The protesting students alleged that they had continued their movement since morning but no representative from the government had come forward to discuss their concerns. They demanded immediate engagement from the authorities and urged officials to consider the difficulties faced by thousands of HSC candidates across the country.

The students said their protest was not against the examination system itself but against what they described as a lack of consideration for candidates facing extraordinary circumstances. They argued that students should be assessed fairly based on their preparation and the conditions under which they appeared for the examinations.

The situation around the Parliament area drew attention as students continued their sit-in, pressing for a response from the authorities regarding their demands.