Protesting students face police barricades in front of Shikkha Bhaban

Students marching from the Science Laboratory intersection towards the Secretariat reached the Shikkha Bhaban (Education Building) on Wednesday afternoon, where they were stopped by a police barricade.

They continued chanting slogans demanding the resignation of Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon.

The protesters stated that they are observing the ‘Long March to Education Ministry’ program today, as previously announced.

At around 2:30 pm on Wednesday, a group of students blockaded the Science Laboratory intersection, disrupting traffic. New Market Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Ayub Hossain told Prothom Alo that approximately 50 to 100 students arrived at the intersection at 2:35 pm.

They blocked the road for about 15 to 20 minutes before heading toward the Secretariat.

The group moved through the Dhaka University area and reached Shikkha Bhaban around 4:00 pm. Finding the path blocked by police barricades, the students staged a sit-in, continuing their slogans for the Minister’s resignation.

Mehedi Hasan Hamim, who identified himself as an HSC candidate from Government Laboratory High School, said, “The Education Minister has lost the qualification to remain in his post. There are errors in every question paper. The Minister says those who answered the wrong questions will get full marks, but what about those who didn't? An exam cannot be conducted this way. We want him to step down.”

Meanwhile, students began gathering in front of the BNS Centre in Uttara after 1:00 pm, confirmed Tariq Ahmed Baig, Deputy Commissioner of the DMP’s Uttara Division.

By 1:30 pm, the students had blocked the road in front of the centre, suspending traffic on both sides and creating a massive gridlock. During the blockade, they chanted slogans for a three-point demand, including the resignation of Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon.

Ikra Islam Iti, an HSC candidate from Sahajuddin Sarker School and College who joined the protest said, “The Education Minister called us ‘farm chickens.’ Are we chickens? We want his resignation for that.”

Another student, Md Mehedi Hasan from Cambrian College added, “Our movement will continue. We are starting the long march.”

At 3:40 pm, the students in Uttara began their ‘Long March to the Education Ministry,’ initially on foot and later boarding pick-up vans and other vehicles.

The protests follow a day of widespread demonstrations across Dhaka, Chattogram and other parts of the country on Tuesday. Students are expressing outrage over the decision to conduct HSC exams amidst heavy rain and waterlogging, as well as errors in the Physics question paper and the poor quality of questions.

Yesterday, students had warned that they would launch the long march today if the scheduled examinations were not postponed.

The protesters' three-point demand centres on the resignation of the Education Minister for his derogatory remarks about students. Meanwhile, the Minister expressed regret in Parliament yesterday regarding his comments.