Delay in HSC rescheduling: Sylhet students block highway, demanding resignation of edu adviser, secretary

Students in Sylhet today (22 July) blocked the Sylhet-Zakiganj-Beanibazar regional highway demanding the immediate resignation of Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Education Siddiq Zobair.

The demonstration began in the afternoon in front of the Sylhet Education Board, where students sat on the highway, and later held a collective prayer seeking the removal of the adviser and the secretary, accusing them of delaying the announcement of HSC exams postponement.

Traffic remained suspended until evening, causing significant congestion and stranding commuters.

Speaking to media, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Mohammad Saiful Islam said, "The students left the road in the evening and traffic has now returned to normal."

Earlier, students staged protest marches on various streets of the city over the education ministry's insensitive response and initial hesitation to postpone HSC exams following yesterday's deadly plane crash near Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara, which left students across the country traumatised.

A protester, Altaf Hossain, said, "So many students lost their lives in this tragedy, and the whole nation is in mourning. Yet the education adviser and officials remained indecisive. How are we expected to sit for exams carrying this grief?

"They issued the postponement notice at 3am — is that responsible?"

Their movement intensified after reports emerged that protesting students in Dhaka at Secretariat had been baton-charged by police.