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Nearly 15 lakh examinees in agonising wait

Staff Correspondent
Nerves of around 15 lakh students are on edge, as it is still uncertain whether the Secondary School Certificate and equivalent examinations will begin tomorrow.
Even a day after the BNP-led alliance called a 72-hour countrywide hartal from this morning, the authorities didn't make clear whether the exams would be held amid hartal and blockade.
An education ministry official yesterday said they would announce today their decision on it.
The exams might be deferred due to concern over security of the examinees in the wake of a spate of violence.
"But we will have difficulties in rescheduling the exams if hartal continues. We will sit tomorrow [today] to look for options," said the official.
A total of 14,79,266 students from 27,808 educational institutions got registered to sit for the exams at 3,116 centres across the country. They are scheduled to take Bangla 1st paper test on the first day.
The written tests are to end on March 10. Practical exams are scheduled to begin the next day and end on March 16.
Yesterday, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid once again urged the BNP and its allies not to enforce shutdowns on exam days.
“Taking pity on the students, they (the BNP] should withdraw or at least suspend their programmes on the exam days, “ he told reporters after attending the second convocation of Sylhet Metropolitan University.
Several other ministers also talked about the issue yesterday.
At a programme in Jamalpur, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said leaders and activists of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance will "guard the exam centres".
The BNP, however, has not shown any sign that it would consider lifting shutdowns on exam days.
Party's Vice Chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed yesterday wondered how exams could be held while abductions and killings are taking place in the country in the absence of the rule of law.
The rule of law must be established first and then the exams can be held, he said while speaking as a panellist at BBC Bangladesh Sanglap yesterday.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said, "We will take necessary measures to ensure security of the students on the road and at the centres during exam hours."
Briefing reporters at the police headquarters, he said the exams are going to be held at an "unusual time".
Shahidul sought cooperation from politicians and people in general to make sure that the students can take the exams safely.
Asked about the security measures, he said it's not possible for them to provide security individually. "We will arrange security at macro level. We may escort a group of students at a time in a certain area."
PROTEST PROGRAMMES
Students and teachers of capital's Badda Girls High School formed a human chain near Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office, demanding withdrawal of the opposition's blockade and hartal on exam days.
Around 600 students and teachers stood on both sides of a road near the BNP chiefs office for half an hour from 10:30am with placards, "We want to study"; "Don't kill us";
"Don't burn us.”
Meanwhile, some guardians of students at Motijheel Model School submitted a memorandum to Khaleda, calling for withdrawal of the ongoing hartal and blockade.
Syeda Shamima Sultana and Irin Luna Akhter, who signed the memo on the guardians' behalf, told reporters that they wanted security of their school-going children.
The guardians would visit the Prime Minister's Office today to hand in a memorandum with the same demand.
In the meantime, students, teachers and guardians held demonstrations in a number of districts, including Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Khulna, Sherpur, Satkhira, Kishoreganj, Chittagong, Pabna and Rajshahi.