Students staged a protest in front of the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday (22 July), demanding justice over the recent Air Force training aircraft crash at Milestone School and College, as well as reforms in the education sector and the resignation of key government advisers.

Students around 2:15pm began gathering near Gate-1 of the Secretariat after marching from the Education Building. In response, all entrances to the Secretariat were temporarily closed, and law enforcement officers were seen positioned at various gates inside the compound.

Protesters chanted slogans such as “false, false,” and “why did my brother die, and administration must answer.” 

Students also criticised the delay in postponing the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination originally scheduled for July 24. They claimed that despite public appeals to defer the exam following the tragedy, Education Adviser CR Abrar delayed the decision until 3am.

“This is unacceptable. We were asleep preparing for the exam. Who does the education adviser represent if not the students? We put him in the chair, and we can remove him,” a protesting student told reporters.

MSK/