Floods Disrupt Educational Institutes in Four Divisions; What Authorities Say About HSC Exams

Lifelines across at least four structural divisions in the country, notably Chittagong and Sylhet, have ground to a halt due to severe flooding and hostile weather. A massive portion of the port city, Cox's Bazar, and the surrounding hill districts is entirely underwater, forcing the Chittagong Education Board to suspend Wednesday’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations. As the ground situation continues to deteriorate rapidly, deep uncertainties have now emerged regarding the upcoming exams scheduled for Saturday.

Heavy downpours and rising floodwaters have completely submerged vast neighborhoods, roads, and vital educational institutions, forcing many displaced residents to take refuge in temporary cyclone shelters. This ongoing humanitarian crisis has disrupted the studies of thousands of candidates, leaving them profoundly anxious. Many candidates expressed fear that attempting to sit for the high-stakes national examinations without basic preparation or stable shelter will heavily jeopardize their final academic results.

Addressing the rising concerns, Professor Syed Aktaruzaman, President of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and Chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, stated on Thursday morning that the authority is closely monitoring the situation.

He assured that if any emergency decision needs to be taken regarding Saturday’s examinations, it will be officially communicated to the public by Friday afternoon. He added that the board remains in constant communication with district commissioners and local administrations, emphasizing that any administrative adjustments will heavily rely on field reports to prioritize student welfare and safety.

The compulsory Information and Communication Technology (ICT) exam for the general board, the Alim English 1st paper for the Madrasah Board, and Accounting Principles and Applications-2 for the Technical Board are scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 11. Although the meteorology office initially predicted that the weather might stabilize after Thursday, exam controllers have clarified that a definitive decision will be finalized after high-level consultations with the ministry, district administrators, and relevant stakeholders.

The relentless rainfall and accompanying flash floods have already created a devastating situation in Cox's Bazar and neighboring regions, inundating at least 33 unions across nine upazilas and claiming at least 19 lives over the last six days due to landslides and drowning. A tragic landslide in Lama Upazila of Bandarban on Thursday morning claimed the lives of five family members, including children, while another hill collapse in Chakaria killed two teenage girls.

When contacted, Cox's Bazar District Education Officer Mohammad Golam Mostafa stated that running the HSC examinations under such hostile environmental conditions is practically impossible. He noted that while higher management has not yet formally requested field feedback, he will strongly recommend suspending the examinations in the affected regions. He further mentioned that local school authorities have already been directed to postpone regional half-yearly school evaluations in all flooded institutions until physical conditions return to absolute normalcy.