Dhaka, Oct 21 (V7N) — Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar, Chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, has submitted his resignation to the Education Secretary in response to demands from a group of students who failed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams. The students are demanding an automatic pass for all and a re-evaluation of the results using subject mapping across all subjects.

The announcement of Sarkar's resignation came on Sunday evening, with the chairman expressing his solidarity with the students' demand for a reassessment. "If my resignation helps resolve the issue and ends the movement, I will step down," he stated.

Secondary and Higher Education Secretary Siddique Zobair confirmed the receipt of the resignation request and commented on the growing student unrest. "Special circumstances have raised certain expectations among the students. However, a long-term solution needs to be found," he said, adding that the authorities are reviewing the matter and a decision will be announced soon.

The controversy began after the HSC results were released on October 15. Due to disruptions earlier in the academic year, some exams were cancelled, and the final results were based on a combination of actual HSC exams and SSC or equivalent exam scores through subject mapping. However, students claim the method used was unfair, with results varying widely across education boards.

On Monday, students staged demonstrations at multiple education boards, including Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, Mymensingh, and Jessore, demanding a re-announcement of results through subject mapping for all subjects and an automatic pass for those who failed.

At the Dhaka Education Board, protesters locked the main gate and later broke into the building, heading to the chairman’s office. Clashes occurred during the protests, with 11 people, including students, reportedly injured. The students allege that some board officials were involved in the violence and have called for their punishment.

The Education Secretary assured that the matter would be discussed with all stakeholders and reviewed thoroughly to find the best solution for the nation and the students.

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