What began as protests over holding Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations during floods and relentless rain escalated into a nationwide education crisis on Tuesday, with students blockading highways, laying siege to education boards and demanding the resignation of Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, forcing an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The demonstrations, which spread across Dhaka and more than a dozen districts, were fuelled by two issues: the government’s refusal to suspend examinations despite widespread flooding and waterlogging, and an alleged audio clip in which the education minister was heard describing students as “farm chickens” who fall sick after “a little rain.”
The remarks quickly became the rallying cry of the movement.
Protesters chanted slogans including “We are not farm chickens, we are the future of the country,” while demanding the minister’s resignation, suspension of the ongoing HSC examinations until weather conditions improve, fresh examinations for candidates who missed the July 13 tests, correction of errors in the Physics question paper and humane evaluation of difficult subjects.
Capital at standstill
In Dhaka, students from several colleges first blocked the Science Laboratory intersection, paralyzing traffic on Mirpur Road before marching towards Dhaka University.
Police stopped the procession near VC Chattar, where protesters alleged several students were injured during a scuffle.
The demonstrators later gathered outside the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, where tensions briefly escalated as some protesters pushed against the main gate and hurled bricks.
In the afternoon, the protests returned to Science Laboratory before shifting to Manik Mia Avenue in front of the National Parliament, bringing traffic to a standstill on one of the capital’s busiest roads.
Police later cleared the blockade, while students alleged officers used batons to disperse demonstrators.
Another group blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Uttara, causing hours of traffic congestion.
Unrest spreads nationwide
The protests quickly spread beyond the capital.
Students surrounded the Rajshahi Education Board, blocked highways in Tangail and Chandpur, held rallies in Sylhet, announced fresh demonstrations in Faridpur and staged protests in Naogaon, Mymensingh, Barisal, Comilla and Bogra.
In Tangail, a blockade on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway created a traffic jam stretching nearly 10 kilometres before authorities persuaded students to withdraw.
In Chandpur, the education minister’s home district, students blocked the Chandpur-Comilla regional highway for around 90 minutes while pressing demands to suspend the examinations.
PMO steps in
Amid the growing unrest, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon attended an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday afternoon.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the meeting reviewed the nationwide protests, demands to postpone the examinations, reported errors in the Physics question paper and the government’s next course of action.
Speaking in the National Parliament later in the day, the minister defended the decision to continue the examinations, saying it had been taken based on recommendations from field-level administrators.
He claimed examinations had proceeded smoothly across the country except at one centre in Comilla, where floodwater forced authorities to shift candidates to another building.
Students were transported by boat, while those whose clothes became soaked were provided with alternative arrangements.
The minister also said candidates unable to sit examinations because of flooding or administrative problems would be allowed to take re-examinations.
Meanwhile, the National Parliament Secretariat said the minister had expressed regret over his controversial “farm chicken” remarks during Monday’s parliamentary proceedings.
Despite that, protesters announced a “March to the Ministry of Education” for Wednesday, warning of tougher nationwide demonstrations if their demands, including suspension of the examinations and the minister’s resignation, are not met.