Degree students of 7 DU-affiliated colleges block Nilkhet road as exams get postponed

Degree students of seven colleges affiliated to Dhaka University (DU) have blocked the Nilkhet intersection in the capital demanding the continuation of their ongoing exams.

Hundreds of students of those institutions took to the street at around 9am on Saturday.

Flow of traffic has been badly disrupted on Mirpur Road and Elephant Road, and also on streets in Shahbagh, Bangshal, Nayabazar and other adjacent areas.

The protesting students said that they were scheduled to sit for their last degree examination today (22 January). 

Earlier this morning, as they arrived at their respective centres, they were informed that the exams have been postponed due to the deteriorating Covid-19 situation of the country.

The agitated students said that they were not informed beforehand about the development and no notices or announcements were issued in this regard.

The protesters claimed that examinations for second-year degree students were supposed to be held back in 2018.

However, due to session jams, it was rescheduled to end in January, 2022. 

Although the exams, which started on 21 November last year, were supposed to end today, it has been postponed due to the pandemic, they added.

Kawsar Hossain, a student of Kabi Nazrul Government College, said, "We are already in the middle of a terrible session jam. Today was our last exam. 

"I came to the centre and then was informed about the postponement. Why such injustice with us?"