Army on Standby as Student Protests Escalate Over HSC Results

Authorities have ordered increased security across all education boards amid concerns that students may continue protests demanding a re-evaluation of the recently published Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results. If necessary, the army will be deployed to maintain order.

Protests erupted yesterday in Dhaka and across eight education boards as students rejected the newly released HSC results. Clashes broke out during the demonstrations, leaving several students injured.

According to sources, the protests were triggered by the cancellation of exams for some subjects under pressure from student movements advocating for fair evaluation. In response, the results were published using a "subject mapping" method, where grades from students' previous Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams were considered for the canceled subjects. However, students argue that the results are unfair and demand re-evaluation based on mapping all SSC subjects.

On Sunday, students surrounded the education board offices in various regions, with incidents of violence reported at the Dhaka Board office, where 11 students were injured. In Dhaka and Mymensingh, protests continued into the evening, with students blockading board officials, including the chairpersons, until late at night.

In response to the unrest, Tapan Kumar Sarkar, the chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, announced his resignation. “If anyone has doubts about their results, they can apply for re-evaluation. Resorting to protests and violence is not a solution,” he told Dhaka Post, adding that he would submit his resignation to the ministry today.

The results, published on October 15, followed an alternative evaluation method due to the cancellation of certain HSC exams. For these canceled subjects, students' SSC marks were used, while the subjects that were held were graded based on their answer scripts. However, dissatisfied students demand new results using full SSC subject mapping.

Authorities confirmed that security will be bolstered at all board offices today, with police presence increased in protest-prone areas. Officials have also indicated that, if necessary, the army will be deployed to ensure peace.

The Ministry of Education has reportedly urged the Dhaka Board chairman to reconsider his resignation and work towards resolving the issue.