HSC candidates block Shahbagh as calls grow for education minister's resignation

Police say a group of students marched from the Secretariat to Shahbagh, halting traffic

HSC exam candidates have blocked the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka, escalating their protests with fresh demands, including the resignation of the education minister.

The students occupied the road around 6pm on Wednesday, halting traffic through the busy junction.

Shahbagh Police chief Al Amin said a group of students marched from the Secretariat to Shahbagh and blocked traffic.

One of the protesters, Sakib Hasan, said their original programme had been a "Long March to the Secretariat".

"But we were stopped there, so we moved to Shahbagh. We will not leave until our demands are met," he said.

Earlier in the afternoon, the students staged a sit-in for about half an hour at the Science Laboratory intersection before heading towards the Secretariat.

Police blocked their procession in front of the Shikkha Bhaban.

The protests began over demands to postpone the HSC and equivalent exams but intensified on Tuesday with road blockades, scuffles with police and calls for the education minister's resignation.

The government has said exams will continue nationwide except in flood-hit Chattogram Division.

Wednesday's physics, accounting and logic second-paper exams were held under nine general education boards outside Chattogram.