Students in Cumilla protest demanding education adviser resignation, lock education board

A protest erupted on Tuesday morning (July 22), demanding the resignation of the education adviser in Cumilla and highlighting concerns over the recent Milestone College plane crash.

Students from various schools and colleges gathered at Pubali Square and marched to the Cumilla Education Board, where they blocked the main gate and staged a sit-in.

The protestors raised several demands, including the resignation of the education adviser and the education secretary, full disclosure of the names and identities of the students killed in the crash, an accurate list of the injured, and compensation for the families of the deceased. They also called for the immediate scrapping of the outdated training aircraft used by the Air Force, advocating for safer, modern equipment.

Students expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Education's handling of the situation, particularly a late-night notice issued at 3.00am that failed to inform them of the accident in a timely manner. "We want the actual number of students killed and injured to be made public today," said Md Saleh Uddin, a student from Cumilla Victoria College.

The blockade lasted for about an hour and a half before the students unlocked the gate at 1.00pm, allowing access to the education board's services. Parents and students seeking assistance were delayed during the blockade.

Cumilla Education Board Chairman Professor Shamsul Alam confirmed that the students' demands had been communicated and assured them that these would be forwarded to higher authorities for consideration.

The protest has drawn attention from both local administration and education board officials. \