Students protest after Chittagong University suspends ongoing exams

Disgruntled Chittagong University students have launched protests after the Ministry of Education suspended examinations for three months, including those ongoing.

The students took to the streets after the university administration announced the decision on Thursday.

SM Monirul Hasan, the acting registrar of the university, told bdnews24.com that different universities around the country suspended ongoing examinations following the ministry's decision.

“The exams in all the departments of Chittagong University were suspended in the interest of the teachers, students and employees amid the pandemic. Many exams are being held on Thursday. The suspension order will be effective from Sunday.”

As the news spread, the students gathered in front of the administrative building in the afternoon and began shouting slogans in protest.

Dewan Tahmid, a fourth-year economics student, said: “The university authorities have the power to take such decisions as per the ordinance of 1973. According to that, the claims of the students have to be prioritised over what the education ministry has to say. The suspension order on the ongoing exams has to be revoked immediately taking their concerns into account.”

Jannatun Sadia Pushpa, a student of the Bangla Department, said: “We are getting old, so how are we supposed to get a job? I can’t look at my mother’s face now that the exams were suspended. Being students can’t be our crime.”

The universities were shut down on Mar 17 last year after the coronavirus outbreak in Bangladesh. Classes resumed online on a limited scale but the residential halls remained closed.

Weary of the long shutdown, students of different public universities have taken to the streets demanding that the halls be reopened. Following a clash with the local people, students of Jahangirnagar University broke into a hall and remained there defying the authorities on Feb 21.

About 50 students of Dhaka University also started a protest the following day and broke into the university’s Shahidullah Hall, with some returning to their designated rooms.

On the same day, Education Minister Dipu Moni announced that the classes in public and private universities would resume from May 24 and the halls of residence would be open from May 17 after teachers, students and employees are all vaccinated.

The Deans' Committee of Chittagong University then met on Wednesday night, reached a decision to suspend all exams and announced it by sending out notices to all the departments on Thursday.