Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Within an hour of announcing general strike in Bangladesh, the government has postponed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday.
The postponement came as the BNP-led 20-party alliance has called another spell of 72-hour general strike in Bangladesh from Sunday to press home a handful of demands.
The fresh date of the examinations will be announced later, said sources at the education ministry in Dhaka on Saturday.
The BNP-led alliance has been enforcing non-stop blockade of roads, rail and waterways alongside frequent strike since January 5 demanding a fresh general election.
So far, the SSC and its equivalent examinations which were scheduled to begin on February 2 were rescheduled for tenth times.
The SSC examinations which began on February 6 were underway on every Friday and Saturday, which were weekend in Bangladesh.
This year, around 1.5 million students are taking the exams.
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 90 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/ANS/AD-07Mar15-5:00pm (BST)
