Students question decision to postpone exams at 3 in the morning

"Yesterday, when I saw a post claiming that a fighter jet had crashed into the Milestone College campus in Dibari, Uttara, I couldn't bring myself to believe it at first. But as I frantically scrolled through news channels, my eyes teared up before I even realised it. From noon till night, I locked myself in my room, doing whatever I could to share blood donation posts, death count updates, etc. Studying for the next day's exam was the last thing on my mind," says Wakin Bibhor, a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) 2025 examinee from Dhaka City College.

This is, by no means, a one-off experience. Hundreds, if not thousands, of HSC examinees across the country spent the entirety of July 21 glued to their phones and televisions, hoping and praying for the young children and teachers who were at death's grip. Despite having their Chemistry 2nd Paper exam the following day, hardly anyone—especially HSC candidates from Milestone College—could find it in themselves to concentrate on studying after such a traumatising day.

In an ideal world, it might have gone without saying that an exam as monumental as the HSC would not be taking place less than 24 hours after an event that shook the entire country. After all, this exam series will go on to dictate much of the foundation of millions of examinees' higher education, potentially altering the course of their lives. Surely, then, it would not be unrealistic to expect that the authorities would sympathise with the students enough to grant them the time and space to mourn, stand in solidarity with their fallen brothers and sisters, and recollect themselves.

Unfortunately, though, such was not the case for our country. By the time the clock struck midnight, the authorities still hadn't provided an announcement regarding exam postponement. It wasn't until 3 AM on the day of the exam that an advisor to the interim government announced on his Facebook page that the exams scheduled for July 22 would be postponed.

As Wakin puts it, he, along with most of his classmates, dragged themselves to their desks around midnight after they assumed that the authorities would not budge, but it hardly helped.

He shares, "I could barely focus for five minutes at a stretch due to the immense mental toll. I can only imagine what it was like for fellow examinees who spent the entire day at the crash site or at hospitals to donate blood and plasma for the victims, only to have to come home and see that they would have to attend an exam the next day."

In order to understand the actual depth of turmoil this mix-up caused, Campus reached out to HSC examinees from Milestone College, the ones who were most closely affected. Efatul Sharif Shemanto, one such examinee, spoke out against the absurdity of making an announcement as crucial as postponing HSC exams late into the night.

"I cannot put into words how shocked and disappointed I felt by how irresponsibly the situation was handled," he states. "Postponing such a pivotal public exam at 3 in the morning is not just about the inconvenience; it's about the complete lack of empathy and planning from the authorities. There were clear signals throughout the day that something tragic had happened, which would deeply affect not just Milestone students, but the entire HSC community. The authorities had every opportunity to make the call earlier. Doing it at such an ungodly hour shows blatant disregard for our mental health, our emotional preparedness, and, frankly, our dignity as students."

Upon being asked about the emotional scars that yesterday's events left on him, Efatul said, "So many friends and kids who grew up in front of our eyes are no longer with us, while more are currently fighting for their lives in burn units. The campus we once walked through with laughter and dreams is now a site of tragedy. The emotional trauma and psychological impact that we're facing is a debilitating feeling that I would not wish on anyone ever."

To show solidarity with Milestone students and the rest of the HSC examinees impacted directly or indirectly, students from Notre Dame College released a collective statement last night announcing that they would boycott Tuesday's exam even if it were held.

Azmayeen Sadat, an examinee from Notre Dame College, shared how this statement came from a place of unity and responsibility. He opines, "A tragic event of this scale concerns every human being with a heart, not just students from Milestone School and College."

He further said, "As such, we spoke up from our individual places, demanding responsible action from the state. It was only a matter of time before teachers also called for the same – postponing the exam. When we saw that everyone aligned with our point, we collectively decided to boycott that exam, regardless of the consequences."

The delayed decision not only left thousands of students in distress all night, but many of them also made the commute to their exam venues in the morning only to learn that the exam would not be held.