Bangladesh students demand minister quit over flood-hit exams

Students in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, are escalating protests, demanding the education minister's resignation over his response to nationwide examinations disrupted by severe floods. Hundreds of students blocked major intersections on July 15, continuing demonstrations that began online and spilled onto the streets the previous day.

The core of the students' grievance lies with the education ministry's decision not to cancel a paper of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination. Torrential rains caused widespread flooding, making it difficult for candidates to reach examination centers, with some reportedly traveling by boat.

"We will continue our protests until the minister resigns," stated Faisal Khan, an HSC candidate, expressing frustration over the minister's perceived dismissiveness. Khan recounted the minister mocking students by comparing them to "broiler chickens that catch cold easily," and vowed to demonstrate their resilience. He drew parallels to student-led protests in 2024 that were instrumental in the downfall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

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We will continue our protests until the minister resigns. Ignoring our request, he mocked us by saying we are broiler chickens that catch cold easily. We want to show him what broiler chickens can do.

Another protester, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal, criticized Education Minister Ehsanul Hoque Milon for being out of touch. "He keeps saying he wants to stop cheating in examinations and ignores almost every other issue," the student told AFP, emphasizing that their focus is not on cheating but on ensuring access to education.

While Milon rejected calls to cancel the exam paper, he assured that special arrangements would be made for students unable to sit the test due to flooding. Examinations under the Chattogram Education Board had already been postponed. However, students in Dhaka and other affected districts missed papers, highlighting the significant disruption caused by the severe weather.

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He keeps saying he wants to stop cheating in examinations and ignores almost every other issue. We don’t cheat. Instead, he should focus on bringing children who have dropped out of school back into the education system.