Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed his displeasure with Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, multiple government sources say.
According to high-level sources within BNP and the government, Milon apologised in Parliament only after being given a two-hour ultimatum by the prime minister to bring the situation under control.
The situation has escalated following the decision to continue HSC examinations despite heavy rainfall and severe waterlogging, coupled with allegations that Milon referred to students as “Broiler Murgi,” roughly translated as “farm chicken” in English.
Protests demanding the resignation of Milon, who has been in office for only five months, have erupted across several areas of Dhaka and various district towns. No specific organisers were named for the protests.
The demonstrators were young individuals seen wearing identity card ribbons from various educational institutions.
On Monday night, a photocard was circulated on Facebook calling for a gathering at the Science Laboratory area at 11am on Tuesday. Initially, about twenty youths gathered at 11:30am, followed later by a crowd of two hundred to two hundred and fifty.
Simultaneous protests occurred in front of the Chattogram, Cumilla, and Rajshahi Education Boards, as well as in districts including Bogura, Gaibandha, and Naogaon.
Following a day of various incidents in Dhaka, protesters attempted to enter the Parliament building. National discussions have since intensified after police used baton charges to disperse the crowd.
A high-level government source informed TIMES of Bangladesh that Tarique summoned Milon in the afternoon to discuss the matter.
Highlighting how the issue had placed the government under pressure, Tarique instructed the minister to take all necessary steps to control the situation within two hours, reportedly warning him that he would otherwise have to step down from the cabinet.
Two-hour ultimatum and a career in question
Subsequently, Milon addressed Parliament in the evening, saying, “Many have objected to my personal remarks. Regarding that, I wish to say that I did not target anyone. If anyone has been hurt, I simply express my regret.”
As he departed Parliament at night, Milon appeared sombre. Gripping the hand of a journalist, he reportedly said, “Please help me a little.”
After BNP returned to power following the national elections last February and Milan was appointed education minister, his previous role as state minister for education nearly two decades ago was considered.
During the BNP-Jamaat coalition government from 2001 to 2006, he took several steps to prevent cheating in exams, gaining prominence for his personal inspections of examination centres across various districts.
However, while the tendency to cheat in exams has significantly diminished over the last two decades, Milan’s repeated focus on this issue since becoming minister has drawn criticism.
In particular, a video of him telling young children – who are too small to even understand what cheating is – that they “must study, there will be no more cheating,” went viral.
Critics argue that Milon remains fixated on a single issue while ignoring major crises in the education sector. It is publicly suggested that the minister is still mentally positioned in the 2001–2006 period.
Amidst this, several incidents occurred simultaneously during this year’s HSC examinations. On Monday, Physics First Paper, Accounting First Paper, and Logic First Paper exams were held during a week of continuous rain.
Examinees in Dhaka and various districts faced immense suffering due to rainfall and waterlogging. Additionally, incorrect question papers were distributed at several centres during multiple exams.
The insult that ignited the streets
Fuel was added to the fire by a leaked audio tape. In the recording circulating on Facebook, a man and a woman are heard conversing.
The male voice is heard saying, “I was saying in the meeting that they [HSC examinees] are Broiler Murgi; they get a fever as soon as rain falls on them. My daughter is like that.
“So I said, they will go to the exam running and jumping, water will soak their heads in the rain, and they won’t be able to sit the exam properly the next day. Then the DG called the weather office. They said it won’t rain tomorrow; it will end tonight.”
Protesters allege that the male voice belongs to the education minister. Throughout the day, they chanted slogans such as “Who are you, who am I? Broiler Murgi!” and “Who said it, who said it? The education minister!”
Meanwhile, a Facebook page titled “Broiler Chicken Party” was launched to campaign for the students’ demands. While protesters were stationed at the Dhaka University VC area, Nasir Uddin Nasir, the general secretary of Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal, attempted to pacify them by claiming Milon was referring to his own daughter as a “Broiler Murgi,” not the students.
However, it was evident that the protesters did not accept this explanation. After being forced to move from Dhaka University, the examinees returned to Science Laboratory and later marched to the Parliament building in the afternoon.
Scrambling for solutions
Amidst the pressure on the education minister, an inter-board coordination meeting was held in Dhaka, where the heads of all boards spoke, and their representatives consulted with Milon.
Following this, Cumilla Education Board Chairman Md Ahsan Parvez returned to Cumilla and summoned journalists for an emergency press conference at 9pm. However, his statement contained no urgent message.
Regarding Monday’s exam, he said, “Due to sudden heavy rainfall in the early hours of the morning, there was no opportunity to postpone the exam instantly.
“However, the Cumilla City Corporation, district administration, Education Board, and all relevant stakeholders worked in coordination to ensure examinees could complete their exams without hindrance and return home safely.”
The chairman announced that for Wednesday’s exam, the Cumilla Government Women’s College centre has been relocated to Ajit Guha College. He expressed hope that this would significantly reduce the suffering of examinees caused by waterlogging.
In response to a question, he added that the Cumilla Education Board would be more vigilant and proactive in the future, prioritising the best interests of students in such unforeseen circumstances.
