Ten Injured as Students Clash with Police over Exam Strictness

A peaceful academic environment turned into a site of violent unrest in Bhola’s Char Fasson sub-district, where multiple clashes erupted between Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees and law enforcement personnel. The violence prompted the police to deploy batons and tear gas canisters to restore order, leaving at least ten individuals injured, including two police officers. Riotous students also allegedly ransacked several classrooms inside the institutional premises.

The disturbance occurred on Saturday morning at the Fatima Matin Mohila Degree College, an designated HSC examination centre. Trouble began brewing early in the day when candidates voiced intense dissatisfaction over the perceived difficulty of the question paper, coupled with the uncompromising vigilance maintained by the invigilating staff. Tempers flared significantly when the external supervisors strictly barred students from adopting unfair means or smuggling illicit materials into the examination halls.

“The students were frustrated by the difficult exam papers. This anger boiled over when they were prevented from cheating,” noted Romana Afroz, the Sub-district Executive Officer.

Escalation into Violence

As the morning session concluded towards midday, an aggressive group of students gathered outside the main campus building instead of dispersing. The demonstration quickly escalated as the crowd attempted to surround and blockade the centre secretary, the college principal, and the on-duty academic staff. The situation deteriorated rapidly when members of the mob breached the administrative building and vandalised the offices of senior college officials alongside multiple classrooms.

Local authorities dispatched a police unit to protect the trapped academic staff and secure the state property. However, the arrival of law enforcement was met with intense hostility. The encounter quickly degenerated into a series of running battles, with students throwing brickbats and officers launching retaliatory charges. To prevent the crowd from completely overrunning the facility, the police fired tear gas shells to scatter the remaining agitators.

Administrative and Legal Responses

Emergency medical teams arrived shortly after the crowd was dispersed to treat the casualties. The two injured police officers and several students received medical attention at a nearby healthcare facility for bruises and tear gas inhalation. Security has been significantly tightened around the Fatima Matin Mohila Degree College campus to ensure subsequent examinations proceed without further disruption.

Romana Afroz, the Char Fasson Sub-district Executive Officer (UNO), confirmed that the initial student grievances stemmed entirely from the strict anti-cheating protocols enforced during the tough examination. She verified that the rioters directed most of their aggression towards the centre supervisor’s office. Assuring the public of accountability, she stated that institutional and legal disciplinary actions would be taken against those identified in the destruction of the premises.

Providing an update from the law enforcement perspective on Saturday evening, the Assistant Superintendent of Police for Bhola’s Char Fasson Circle, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan, stated that no official case had been filed yet. He added that the police are currently waiting for a formal written complaint from the college authorities, after which definitive legal measures will be pursued against the instigators.