Education adviser Professor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar on Wednesday said that he had no intention to resign, capitulating to the demand from protesting students in the wake of the fighter jet crash incident that killed at least 32 people 25 of whom are students.聽聽
鈥業 believe that there has not been any deviation from duties on my part,鈥� he said.
He added, 鈥楬owever, if my employers feel that there has been deviation and ask me to leave, I will certainly leave.鈥�
His statement came as he was talking to the reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
In the ensuing tragedy caused by the fall of a Bangladesh Air Force jet on a building of Milestone School and College at Uttara in the city on Monday, 32 people were killed and over 150 were injured.
Amid the situation the demand to postpone the Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations to be held on July 22 arose to which the interim government鈥檚 response came in the small hours of the day.
The information and broadcasting ministry at around 3:00am on July 22 shared a press release in a messenger app journalist group, which, quoting the education adviser, said that the day鈥檚 HSC and equivalent exams in the country were suspended.
Later on the day, the education ministry also postponed the exams to be held today (Thursday/July 24) across the country.
But alleging delay in announcing the postponement, several hundred HSC examinees from various colleges stormed into the country鈥檚 administrative hub Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday and clashed with the Bangladesh Army and police, demanding the resignation of the education adviser and secretary. The clash left at least 100 students injured.聽
Following the violent protest, the education ministry鈥檚 Secondary and Higher Education Division senior secretary Siddique Zobair was withdrawn from his position the same day.
A press release, issued by the public administration ministry on Wednesday, read that Siddique Zobair was transferred to the public administration ministry on contract as senior secretary.
Replying to a question, Professor Abrar on Wednesday said that the secretary had been relieved from his post of education secretary based on a decision made at a higher committee.
鈥業 was not connected with that decision,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥榮o I cannot give any answer regarding this.鈥�
About late postponement of the HSC and equivalent exams, he said that it took time to take such a weighty decision and they postponed the exams following due procedures.
Such decisions could not be made by a single person, he mentioned.
The adviser said that they went to the school on Tuesday to convey their condolences to the school authorities on behalf of the chief adviser and communicate with the families who lost their children in the tragedy.
About the Milestone School and College students鈥� demand for disclosing the actual number of casualties and due compensations for the victims, he said that the government was took the issues in consideration.
The government would give space for the graves for the victims who were killed in the crash.
鈥楶roper steps will also be taken for their treatment,鈥� he said.
