Leave test days out of protests: Nahid

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has once again urged the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance not to enforce any protest programme on the days Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations will be held.

He made the call while speaking to reporters at the second convocation of the Sylhet Metropolitan University on Saturday, two days before the test is scheduled to start.

“I had requested the strikers to call off or postpone their programmes by being kind to our 1.5 million children. But they did not pay heed to the request,” Nahid said.

“I am once again making the same appeal to them hoping that those of them who have some human values, will be moved,” he said.

“I am hoping that they will at least keep the exam days out of their programmes,” he added.

Along with the blockade, BNP called a 72-hour general strike from Sunday, a day before the exams are scheduled to start, increasing worries of the students and their parents.

Though Nahid insisted that the tests would be held on time despite the blockade, the government said it would decide on Sunday whether the tests would be held as per schedule.

Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said they would strengthen security measures if the government conduct tests during the protest programmes.