Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-The Bangladesh government has rescheduled Monday’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations due to BNP-led 20-party alliance-sponsored nationwide 72-hour strike.
“Monday’s Bangla first paper examination will be held on Friday,” said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid during a press briefing at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday.
“The examination will be held from 9:00am to 12noon Friday,” the minister said.
The examination for Wednesday will remain as it is, Islam said adding that the government will change the schedule if strike continues.
The BNP-led 20-party alliance is enforcing a 72-hour general strike in Bangladesh from 6:00am Sunday protesting a minister’s statement.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan allegedly threatened BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Friday saying that if the BNP chief does not withdraw the non-stop blockade and strike before the SSC exam, the electricity and the water supply lines to her residence will be disconnected.
The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations are scheduled to begin from February 2.
Nearly 15 lakh students are expected to sit for the examinations.
Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO), the state-owned power supply company, had disconnected the power connection to the house of Khaleda, a former premier of the country, around 2:45am Saturday without showing any legal reason.
More than 19 hours after severing the electricity service to Khaleda’s Gulshan office, the Bangladesh government restored it.
The BNP chief has been staying in her Gulshan office since January 3.
More than six hour after severing the power line, the authorities concerned disconnect the cable and internet services and also jammed the mobile phone network to the Khaleda’s office.
Though the government restored the power supply to Khaleda’s office, the cable and internet connection; and mobile phone network remain inactive there till Sunday noon.
Nearly one hour after the disconnection of power supply, the staff of Khaleda’s office started a generator, said Shamsuddin Didar, a staff of BNP chairperson's media wing.
The Base Transceiver Stations around the BNP chief’s office, have been made inactive, said an executive of a leading internet operator.
The BTRC had ordered them to do so, the executive said seeking anonymity.
The office staff found the cable network snapped when they turned on the TV around 9:00am, Didar added.
The internet connection was also cut off while the mobile network was jammed, Didar said.
The BNP-led alliance has been enforcing nationwide non-stop roads and waterways blockade coupled with frequent strike since January 5 demanding a fresh election.
The alliances also protest the confinement of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her party Gulshan office and arrest of party leaders and activists.
Khaleda called the blockade after she was barred from coming out of her Gulshan office on January 5.
BNP said its party chief was “confined” but the government denied the allegation though it had put additional law enforcers and sand-laden trucks in front of Khaleda’s office.
The government however removed the security barriers after 16 days on January 19.
So far, at least 40 people, mostly innocent, were killed and dozens including law enforcers injured in the mindless act of arson and petrol bomb attacks across the country during the blockade and strike.
Hundreds of vehicles were also torched and vandalised during the political agitation.
BBN/SSR/AD-1Feb15-12:20pm (BST)