Qawmi madrasa students call for exam boycott 

Students of various Qawmi madrasas in the country have called for boycotting all examinations under the government-recognised Qawmi Board of Education "Haiatul Ulya". 

Signatures are being collected for this purpose at Hathazari Madrasa today.

Demonstrations took place at Hathazari Madrasa after the Maghrib prayers on Sunday, after which the teachers held an emergency meeting.

The students of Madrasa have called the exam boycott, as the president and secretary general of "Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh" did not express condolences over the deaths of madrasa students in clashes across the country including Hathazari.

On Sunday evening, Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh on its official Facebook page informed that the examination of Dawra-e-Hadith will start from 31 March. Since then, various Qawmi madrasas have been announcing the boycott of the exams.

Students Patia Madrasa have put forward a seven-point charter of demands to the authorities. One of these demands is to boycott examinations under the government-recognised board Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh. 

Md Anwar Hossain, a student of Dawra-e-Hadith department at Chattogram Hathazari Madrasa, said, "We will not take part in any exam under the Islamophobic government that has killed our brothers. 

"We will not take any degree under this government. We have called for boycotting all exams held under government recognised boards. Other madrasa students around the country have also joined our call to boycott the examination."

He said, "So on Monday, all the students -- including those who are willing to sit for the test and those who are not -- have been asked to submit an application to the madrasa authorities with their signatures. A public signature program is underway at Hathazari Madrasa for this purpose."

Mir Idris, co-organising secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam and a teacher at Al Huda Mahila Madrasa, told The Business Standard, "Shortly after the end of the strike yesterday, Haiatul Ulya announced examination date. Then the agitated students called for boycotting the exam. However, no final decision has been made in this regard."

Maulana Yahya, a member of the steering committee of Hathazari Madrasa, told The Business Standard, "Some of the students have made this demand. They are divided over this issue."

Ruling party leaders, activists and police clashed with some activists of religious groups in the Baitul Mukarram Mosque area of Dhaka after Friday prayers in a protest of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh. Students of Hathazari Madrasa staged a protest in that afternoon. Four people, including a student, were killed in a clash with police. Later, 13 more people were killed in clashes with law enforcing agencies during protests across the country.