The ultimatum has expired, and the movement has entered its most decisive phase. Students taking the HSC exam will stage a “Grand March to the Ministry of Education” today (Wednesday, July 15) in protest, after the government failed to meet their demands overnight. This is the most serious escalation so far in the conflict that has gripped the country’s education sector since Monday.
The final decision was made around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As the day’s blockade near Manik Mia Avenue, in front of the Parliament building, ended, Miraj, a student at Dhaka City College, announced at a press conference that none of the movement’s main demands had been met and issued an ultimatum: if the exams were not suspended by Tuesday night, the march to the ministry would take place today.
The night passed. No suspension came. The march is on.
The Plan: Exam First, Then March at 3 PM
What makes this movement unusual is its discipline. The protesters are not boycotting today’s exam. According to the announced plan, examinees will sit Wednesday’s scheduled paper as normal, and after it ends at 1 PM, they will join the march toward the Education Ministry between 3 and 4 PM, converging from their respective locations. Organizers have called on all examinees to stay united and make the program a success.
Miraj explained the strategy clearly: the students never said they would skip the exam. If they were required to take it, they would, and then they would march “with heavy hearts.” The reasoning is astute: a boycott would give the government an easy excuse to say that the protesters simply didn’t show up. By taking the exam and then marching, they maintain both their academic standing and their movement intact.
What the Protesters Are Demanding
The demands have sharpened as the movement has grown. The current list includes:
- Suspension of the ongoing HSC exams until conditions genuinely allow fair examinations
- The Education Minister’s resignation
- A new, student-friendly revised routine for the remaining papers
- Re-examination or protective measures for students affected by the July 13 Physics paper — both those who couldn’t reach centers through the floodwater and those hit by the question controversy
Protesters in Uttara announced their march around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, before leaving the BNS Centre road, only to resume the blockade later that afternoon as frustration grew. Blockades also continued at the Science Laboratory, while at Dhaka University, police and protesters remained at odds on the Nilkhet-TSC road, with the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) deployed across the campus to reinforce security.
One Concession: The Physics Question Review
The pressure has produced at least one tangible result. The education board has announced that the complaints about questions 6 and 7 of the Physics First Paper’s creative section are being reviewed with due seriousness — and that if any error or inconsistency in the questions is proven, examinees’ interests will be fully protected under the standard evaluation policy. The board had earlier stated that full marks would be awarded for any question found to be genuinely faulty.
It’s a meaningful step, but it addresses only a slice of one demand — and the protesters have made clear it is nowhere near enough to call off today’s program.
A City Holding Its Breath
Today’s march foreshadows a tense afternoon in the capital. The route to the Secretariat area—the headquarters of the Ministry of Education—passes through some of Dhaka’s most sensitive and heavily guarded areas. With law enforcement already on high alert, the Border Guard deployed in the streets, and thousands of students in high spirits after taking a morning exam, how the authorities handle the 3:00 p.m. gathering could determine the future of this movement.
For students and their parents, our practical advice remains the same: today’s exam is on, so attend and arrive early at your testing center, as roads could be affected by both the weather and the day’s schedule. For everyone in Dhaka this afternoon: expect significant traffic disruptions in the vicinity of the Secretariat, the Science Lab, and the university.
Whether the day ends with a breakthrough, a concession, or further escalation, we will provide you with up-to-the-minute, verified information. Stay safe and stay tuned.
