Student representatives met Education Ministry officials before announcing a temporary suspension of their movement

After two days of escalating nationwide demonstrations over flood-hit Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, the government yesterday announced a package of concessions for examinees, prompting protesting students to temporarily suspend their movement while warning they would resume agitation if the promised measures were not implemented.

The day unfolded as one of the biggest student mobilizations since the controversy began.

From the afternoon, HSC candidates took to the streets in Science Laboratory, Uttara, Mirpur-10, ECB Chattar, Shahbagh, Savar and several other parts of Dhaka under the banner of a pre-announced “Long March to the Ministry of Education.”

Road blockades at multiple points paralyzed traffic, while additional police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel and water cannons were deployed at strategic intersections to prevent unrest.

The largest procession began at Science Laboratory and marched towards Shikkha Bhaban.

When demonstrators reached the Secretariat intersection around 3:50pm, they found the road sealed with chained police barricades.

A tense standoff followed as protesters chanted slogans demanding justice for flood-affected examinees and changes to the ongoing examination process.

Although the barricades were not breached, students staged a prolonged sit-in in front of the Education Ministry.

Simultaneously, demonstrations spread across the capital. Protesters blocked roads in Uttara, Mirpur-10, ECB Chattar and Shahbagh, while students in Savar obstructed the Dhaka-Aricha Highway, demanding action over the handling of the examinations.

Despite the widespread disruption, no major clashes were reported, and police largely maintained a restrained posture throughout the day.

The deadlock eased after a six-member delegation of protesters was invited into the Secretariat for talks with senior Education Ministry officials.

Significantly, students dropped their earlier demand for the resignation of Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon and instead submitted a revised six-point charter centred on examination reforms.

Their demands included allowing flood-affected candidates to retake missed examinations, counting whichever score is higher between the original and repeat examinations, awarding full marks for erroneous Physics First Paper questions, arranging re-examinations after adequate preparation time, considering unexpected changes in question patterns during evaluation, and ending what students described as harassment by “vigilance teams” at examination centres.

While the meeting was underway, the government announced a series of concessions aimed at defusing the crisis.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Adviser on Education and Primary and Mass Education, Mahdi Amin, unveiled five student-friendly initiatives, saying candidates unable to attend examinations because of floods, waterlogging or other unavoidable circumstances would be allowed to sit for the missed papers during the postponed Chittagong Education Board examinations using the same question papers.

He also announced that all candidates would receive full marks for Questions 6 and 7 of the flawed Physics First Paper examination and that officials responsible for preparing the erroneous paper had been temporarily suspended.

Local administrations were further authorized to relocate examination centres, postpone examinations or extend examination times wherever severe weather disrupted access.

Education Minister Milon later reiterated the same decisions in the National Parliament, saying the measures were intended to ensure that no examinee suffered because of adverse weather or administrative mistakes.

He also confirmed that HSC examinations had been postponed only in the five districts under the Chittagong Education Board, while the remaining examinations continued based on recommendations from local administrations and relevant agencies.

After nearly two hours of negotiations, protesters emerged from the Secretariat announcing the temporary suspension of their movement.

Traffic resumed after police removed the barricades outside Shikkha Bhaban, but student leaders made it clear the standoff was far from over.

“We have examinations again tomorrow (today), so we are ending today’s program (yesterday),” protest representative AKM Riazul Quddus Palak said.

“But our demands remain. If the authorities fail to implement them satisfactorily, we will announce fresh programs.”

The demonstrations were triggered by the government’s decision to continue HSC examinations across most of the country despite widespread flooding and waterlogging, compounded by errors in the Physics First Paper and controversy over remarks attributed to the education minister.

Although yesterday’s talks eased immediate tensions, the dispute remains unresolved, with students making clear that the government’s next steps will determine whether the streets stay calm or fill again.

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