The government of Bangladesh is planning to reduce the number of higher secondary and equivalent examinations to quickly wrap up this year's academic session, which has been on hold due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni informed in a virtual discussion that the exams will be held 15 days after the situation in Bangladesh is under control.

All academic institutions in the country were shut down on 17 March amid the Covid 19 outbreak. The HSC and equivalent exams were slated to begin on 1 April but were subsequently postponed. After several spells of extension, the government has stretched the shutdown of schools and colleges until 6 August.

With the epidemic showing little sign of abating, students, parents and teachers are growing increasingly concerned about the prospect of the exams this year.

Under the current circumstances, many have called for the HSC syllabus to be trimmed but the education minister rejected the suggestion.

Over a million students are expected to sit for HSC and its equivalent exams, which are expected to be held at over 9,000 educational institutions under eight general, one madrasa, and one technical education boards.