Protesting Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) candidates gathered outside the Education Building in Dhaka on Wednesday after marching towards the Ministry of Education, where they were met by a police barricade. The demonstrators continued their sit-in while chanting slogans demanding the resignation of Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon, insisting that he had lost the confidence of students over the handling of this year’s examinations.
The protest formed part of the previously announced “Long March to the Ministry of Education” programme. Earlier in the afternoon, a group of students assembled at the Science Laboratory intersection before blocking the road at around 2:30 pm, temporarily bringing traffic in the busy area to a standstill.
According to Mohammad Ayub Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of New Market Police Station, around 50 to 100 students gathered at the intersection at approximately 2:35 pm and kept the road blocked for between 15 and 20 minutes before beginning their march towards the Secretariat area.
The procession travelled through the Dhaka University neighbourhood before reaching the Education Building at around 4:00 pm. Police had already erected barricades around the premises in anticipation of the demonstration. Unable to move beyond the security cordon, the students remained outside the building, continuing their protest and repeating calls for the minister’s resignation.
Among the demonstrators was Mehedi Hasan Hamim, who identified himself as an HSC candidate from Government Laboratory High School in Dhaka. Speaking to reporters, he alleged that repeated errors in examination question papers had seriously undermined confidence in the examination process.
He criticised the minister’s reported assurance that students who answered incorrect questions would receive full marks, arguing that such a measure failed to address the concerns of candidates who chose not to answer flawed questions because they recognised the mistakes. According to Hamim, this approach could not ensure fairness for all examinees and reflected deeper problems in the administration of the examinations.
A separate demonstration unfolded in Uttara, where students began gathering outside the BNS Centre shortly after 1:00 pm. Deputy Commissioner Tarek Ahmed Beg of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Uttara Division confirmed the gathering before protesters blocked the road at around 1:30 pm. The blockade disrupted traffic in both directions, leading to lengthy congestion across the surrounding area.
During the protest, students repeatedly chanted slogans supporting their three-point list of demands, the central one being the resignation of the Education Minister.
One participant, Ikra Islam Iti, who identified herself as an HSC candidate from Shahajuddin Sarkar School and College, expressed anger over remarks previously attributed to the minister about students. She said the comments were insulting and unacceptable, adding that they had strengthened calls for his resignation.
Another student, Mehedi Hasan from Cambrian College, said the movement would continue until their demands were addressed. He confirmed that participants would proceed with the long march despite the obstacles placed before them.
At around 3:40 pm, the Uttara protesters officially began their march towards the Ministry of Education. After walking part of the route, many participants boarded pickup trucks and other available vehicles to continue travelling towards central Dhaka.
The demonstrations followed a day of nationwide student protests on Tuesday, when HSC candidates organised rallies, road blockades and public gatherings in Dhaka, Chattogram and several other districts. Students voiced frustration over examinations being conducted despite heavy rainfall and waterlogging in many areas, as well as alleged errors and concerns regarding the standard of the Physics examination paper.
Late on Tuesday night, student representatives announced Wednesday’s long march programme, warning that they would escalate their movement if the scheduled examinations were not postponed.
The protesters have consistently maintained three principal demands, including the resignation of the Education Minister over remarks they considered offensive towards students and dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of examination-related issues. Meanwhile, the minister expressed regret in Parliament on Tuesday over his comments regarding students, although that statement has not succeeded in calming the growing protests, with demonstrators continuing to press for broader accountability and reforms in the examination system.
