Candidates urge authorities to publish a revised examination schedule with adequate gaps between subjects after flood-related postponement.

Chattogram, July 19 (CTG Mail):

Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) candidates in Chattogram, who earlier staged protests demanding the suspension of examinations due to the flood situation, have now urged authorities to resume the postponed exams as soon as possible while ensuring reasonable gaps between subjects.

A group of students submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of the Chattogram Education Board around 12:30pm on Sunday, requesting the swift resumption of examinations with a revised schedule that allows adequate preparation time between each paper.

The student representatives came from Chattogram College, Government Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College, Government City College and Cantonment Public College. They handed over the memorandum to the board chairman, who assured them that their demands would be forwarded to the higher authorities on Monday.

Professor Parvez Sajjad Chowdhury, Controller of Examinations at the Chattogram Education Board, confirmed that representatives from several colleges had submitted a memorandum outlining their concerns.

“The chairman has received the memorandum. The issues raised by the students will be discussed with the higher authorities before any decision is taken,” he said.

In the memorandum, the students requested the authorities to announce a revised examination schedule at the earliest. They also called for “reasonable intervals” between examinations of different subjects so that candidates would have sufficient time to prepare.

Representatives attending the submission included SM Nazif Noor, Mohammad Zaidul Kabir, Maruf Hossain Tasin, Md Mahatabur Rahman, Shadman Karim and Md Hasibul Majid Ayon from Chattogram College. Students from Government City College, including Md Zayed Chowdhury, Md Rais Jamal Wafi and Tausif Mahmud, as well as Shahriar Hashim from Cantonment Public College, were also present.

The latest development comes days after a demonstration outside the Chattogram Education Board on July 14, when HSC candidates demanded the suspension of examinations across all education boards due to the ongoing floods, punishment for those responsible for alleged errors in question papers, and other related demands.

During that protest, demonstrators broke the main gate of the education board and threw it into a nearby canal, disrupting traffic along one side of CDA Avenue.

At the time, the protesters argued that many candidates from flood-affected areas were unable to reach examination centres because of inundated roads and disrupted transport. They called for the postponement of examinations nationwide and warned of a broader movement demanding the education minister’s resignation if their demands were ignored.

Following Sunday’s memorandum submission, Chattogram Education Board Chairman Abdullah Al Mamun met with the students and explained that the examinations had been postponed on humanitarian grounds after considering the physical and mental condition of candidates in flood-hit areas, transportation difficulties and the condition of examination centres.

He said examinations in 14 subjects remain postponed and that the authorities are trying to publish a revised schedule as quickly as possible.

The chairman also said the memorandum would be forwarded to the Ministry of Education and that he would discuss the students’ concerns with the education minister and education secretary.

According to him, once the flood situation improves, the board plans to complete the examinations that remain under the current routine before announcing separate dates for the postponed subjects. If necessary, new sets of question papers will be prepared for those examinations.

Responding to the demand for suspending examinations under other education boards, the chairman said it would not be practical to halt examinations for nearly one million candidates nationwide because of the approximately 100,000 candidates under the Chattogram Board. However, he assured students that every necessary step would be taken to protect the interests of candidates in Chattogram.

He also ruled out the possibility of automatic promotion, saying there is no alternative to holding examinations in order to maintain academic standards.