Netizens Demand HSC Exam Postponement in Dhaka

Following severe flooding caused by torrential rains and mountain runoff, the HSC and equivalent examinations under the Chittagong Education Board have been suspended until July 16. However, even as relentless downpours turned the capital into a waterlogged city, exams under the Dhaka Education Board remain unchanged. This has triggered an outpouring of anger on social media today, Sunday (July 12). Candidates and parents took to platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to demand the postponement of Monday's (July 13) scheduled Physics, Accounting, and Logic 1st paper exams. In this digital era, students are utilizing online spaces to highlight their suffering and catch the Education Minister's attention.

The helplessness of the students is vividly reflected in their social media posts and comments:

Soha Khatun (Uttara): "What a situation! Continuous rain, waterlogged roads, and no electricity at home. There's no way to study, yet I have to sit for the Physics exam tomorrow. Is the Education Minister blind to this hostile weather?"

Mostafa Kawsar Sani (Old Dhaka): "It is raining across the country. If this is the condition of Dhaka, other districts must be worse off. Instead of just Chittagong, exams for all boards should be deferred for at least a week. We urge the government to understand the mental state of students. Don't force us into exam halls during a disaster."

Arif Rahman (Facebook Comment): "IPS backup is dead at home, no place to charge phones. Is it possible to solve Physics math under candlelight? The network is also fluctuating. Are we caught in a digital trap?"

Raisa Islam (X/Twitter): "Waist-deep water on the streets, no rickshaws available. Am I supposed to write swimming guidelines instead of Physics formulas in tomorrow's script? #PostponeHSC2026Dhaka"

Parents are equally distressed alongside the examinees. Rehana Khatun, mother of a student at Government Science College, shared that her son caught a fever after getting drenched while returning from Saturday's ICT exam. She worries how he will navigate the submerged roads in this condition. Another guardian from Mohammadpur, Ripon Hasan, mentioned that despite leaving early, severe traffic gridlocks and transport shortages make reaching test centers an ordeal.

While Chittagong exams are on hold, tests under Dhaka and seven other general boards, alongside the Madrasah and Technical boards, are still operational. However, the prevailing sentiment on social media insists that in a 'Smart Bangladesh,' the education boards should leverage technology to assess real-time disaster gravity and make a compassionate, student-friendly decision.