HSC candidates brave waist-deep water to sit exams

Thousands of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinees waded through waist-deep water, travelled by boats and rode on vans to reach examination centres on Monday as heavy monsoon rains left vast areas inundated, triggering fresh criticism over the decision to hold the examinations despite worsening flood conditions.

The sixth day of the HSC and equivalent examinations proceeded as scheduled under eight general education boards, along with the Madrasah and Technical Education Boards, with candidates sitting for Physics 1st Paper, Accounting 1st Paper and Logic 1st Paper. However, the Chittagong Education Board and its affiliated madrasah and technical boards had already postponed examinations in five flood-hit districts until July 16.

The worst conditions were reported in Cumilla, Noakhali, Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Lakshmipur and Chandpur, where flooded roads and waterlogged neighbourhoods turned the journey to examination centres into an ordeal.

At the Cumilla Government Women's College centre, examinees crossed waist-deep water to reach the venue, with floodwater entering the verandas of the building. Many sat for the three-hour examination in soaked uniforms. In Noakhali's Hatiya upazila, hundreds of families remained marooned as students struggled to attend the examinations.

The situation prompted protests from parents and students, who demanded that the examinations be postponed until conditions improved. The National Citizen Party (NCP) and several other political organisations also criticised the authorities for continuing the examinations amid the flood situation.

Educationalists echoed those concerns. Emeritus Professor Dr Manzoor Ahmed said weather forecasts had warned of heavy rainfall several days in advance and argued that better coordination between the Education Ministry and education boards could have enabled timely decisions. Rasheda K Chowdhury, Executive Director of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said the recurring disruption caused by monsoon floods underscored the need to reschedule public examinations to a more favourable season and develop a long-term disaster education plan.

Education boards, however, said they could only postpone examinations based on recommendations from deputy commissioners (DCs) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs). They said no such recommendations had been received before Monday's examinations.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Dhaka received 95 millimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours preceding Monday morning after recording a season-high 175mm the previous day. Cumilla recorded 107mm of rainfall between 6:00am and 9:00am alone.

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said the government had already decided to shift the HSC examinations to June and the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations to January from 2027 to avoid disruptions caused by the monsoon season.