Students on Tuesday staged a sit-in outside the main gate of the National Parliament, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, a public apology, and the rescheduling of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations.
The protesters marched from the Science Laboratory intersection at around 5:15pm and reached the Parliament complex at about 6:00pm, where they continued their demonstration, chanting slogans in support of their three-point demand.
Earlier at around 5:00pm, HSC candidate Md Miraj Hossain of City College announced the demands on behalf of the protesters at Science Laboratory. He said the education minister must resign and apologise to the nation by 6:00pm over what he termed his "inconsistent" remarks.
The students also demanded that the HSC examination held on July 13 be retaken, citing the hardships faced by those who sat the examination amid severe weather as well as those who were unable to appear. They further called for the postponement of the following day's examination, the publication of a revised examination schedule, and the setting of more student-friendly question papers.
Earlier at around 3:45pm, students launched a second round of demonstrations at the Science Laboratory intersection, blocking traffic on Mirpur Road and causing severe congestion in the surrounding areas.
The protesters alleged that although they had been demonstrating since the morning, no government representative had approached them for talks.