The government shifted today’s SSC and equivalent examinations to February 20, after the BNP-led 20-party alliance called for a fresh spree of 72-hour hartal.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid announced the new schedule at an emergency press conference at his residence in the capital yesterday.
“To us, the lives of the examinees are more important than the exams. Considering their security, we have shifted today’s exams to February 20 [Friday]. We hope that a hartal will not be called on that day,” he said.
The BNP-led alliance yesterday called a 72-hour hartal starting 6am today and ending 6am Wednesday.
Previously, the exams of February 2, 4, 8 and 10 had to be recheduled, and the February 12 exams postponed, because of hartal. This year, around 1.5 million students are taking the SSC and equivalent exams. The government and the guardians of examinees have called upon the BNP and its partners to call a hartal, barring exam days, but that call has never been heeded. Examinees have also repeatedly said their preparations get botched when exams are rescheduled.
