Police disperse students with baton charge in front of Parliament building

The students protesting with three demands, including the resignation of the Education Minister, were dispersed by the police using batons when they attempted to enter the National Parliament Building during their demonstration.

The police used batons on the students around 6: 45 pm on Tuesday evening. Several students were injured in the incident, but their identities were not immediately known.

From morning till all day, students protested at various places in Dhaka, and blocked roads, finally taking a stand in front of the National Parliament Building around 6 pm. As a session was ongoing in the National Parliament, they stood there chanting slogans of "fake, " "fake. "

Demanding the Education Minister's resignation, students chanted various slogans including “One demand, one decision, the resignation of the Education Minister.”

During this time, Fahmid Khan Sabbir, a student of Police Lines School and College, said, “We will not leave this place without the resignation of the Education Minister. ”

Around 6: 30pm , when some students attempted to enter the National Parliament Building, the police initially tried to persuade the protesting students to leave. At around 6: 45pm, when students tried to enter the National Parliament again, the police used batons against them.

As the police began using batons, the students dispersed. At this time, some students attempted to throw bricks at the police. Later, the police chased them from the main gate of the National Parliament Building to Asad Gate. After this, traffic on the road became normal.

Despite most students leaving the front of the Parliament Building due to the police's baton charge, 30 to 40 students returned shortly after and stood there silently without any slogans, placards, or festoons. They were still seen there around 7: 30pm.

In protest against conducting the HSC examination in continuous rain and waterlogging, students blocked roads, held protests, and assemblies in various parts of Dhaka and the country from Tuesday morning demanding the resignation of Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon. They also alleged mistakes and difficult questions in the physics question paper of the HSC exam. They claimed that the common question paper was more difficult than before.

In the morning, students from various colleges started their movement by blocking the Science Lab intersection in the capital. Later they took a stand at the VC chattar of Dhaka University. When the police removed them from there, they took position in front of the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board at Bakshibazar. Later, around 3: 45pm, they blocked the Science Lab intersection again.

As the students’ movement continued at Science Lab, the Education Minister assured in the parliamentary question session that they would look into the students' issues and requested them to return to their study tables.

He said the candidates will get full marks for the wrong questions in HSC Physics exams, and if necessary, exams will be reconducted at problematic centres.

After the Education Minister’s announcement at 5: 20pm, students reiterated their three-point demand including the Minister’s resignation.

These include: the Education Minister must resign by 6pm today and apologise for inconsistent comments; they must retake the exams for all students who participated and didn’t participate under uncomfortable conditions on 13 July; and tomorrow’s exams (15 July) must be postponed and a new routine published with student-friendly questions.

With these demands, students set off towards the National Parliament from Science Lab intersection, chanting various slogans while taking position in front of the main gate of the Parliament amidst an ongoing parliamentary session.

Mirajul Islam, a student of Dhaka City College, announced the three demands in favour of the students at the Science Lab intersection.

Responding to a question from Prothom Alo about why they came from Science Lab to the front of the Parliament Building, he said, “No announcement came in our favour, despite protesting in various places since yesterday. So we are standing in front of the Parliament to show how the students are suffering.”

When asked why they are still protesting despite the Education Minister saying exams would be retaken for those who couldn’t attend, Mirajul, a student of Dhaka City College, said, “We don’t accept the Education Minister’s announcement. He has made many announcements before, none of which were implemented. There is no assurance that the current declaration will be implemented. Therefore, we don’t consider the Education Minister suitable for this position. ”

In the morning, students from various colleges blocked the Science Lab intersection for an hour, halting traffic on this important road in the capital. They held their position from 11: 30am to 12: 30pm, and then proceeded towards Dhaka University. Police removed them from the front of the VC chattar at around 1: 15pm. Later, the students went to the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board in Bakshibazar via Palashi intersection.

Students took a stand in front of the Dhaka Education Board at around 2: 45pm. There they demanded the resignation of the Education Minister and chanted slogans of "fake, " "fake. " At a point, they threw bricks and pushed on the gates.

Afterwards, the students moved from there back towards the Science Lab intersection. Before 4pm, they blocked the Science Lab intersection.

At this time, Md. Samir, a student of Birshreshtha Noor Mohammad Public College, said they did not know where to properly present their demands, and so attempted to go to TSC. Police obstructed and attacked at the front of Dhaka Education Board and university area, injuring many.

Alongside the blockade-protest in Dhaka, students also blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at one of the main entrances of Dhaka, in Uttara. Besides, students staged protests-blockades over HSC exams in various districts of the country like Barisal, Mymensingh, Cumilla, and Bogura.