The release of the 2025 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination results has unveiled a grim reality: Bangladeshโs education system is buckling under the weight of systemic failures, exacerbated by a surge in state-tolerated mob violence, student-led extortion, and targeted attacks on police, Awami League supporters, minorities, and August 5 protesters.
The pass rate, plummeting to a historic low of 58.83%โdown from 76% in 2023โreflects not only academic decline but also the psychological toll of a society gripped by fear, mistrust, and impunity. As educators and students grapple with the fallout, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus faces mounting scrutiny for its failure to curb the chaos that has infiltrated classrooms and communities.
A System in Collapse
The HSC results, announced Thursday by Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board Chairman Professor Khandokar Ehsanul Kabir, paint a stark picture. Only 598,166 of the 1,047,242 students across nine general education boards passed, with a mere 69,097 achieving GPA-5โa sharp drop from 131,376 the previous year.
The number of institutions with zero passes tripled to 202 from 65, while those with 100% pass rates fell dramatically from 1,388 to 354. Dhaka Board recorded the highest pass rate at 64.62%, while Comilla lagged at 48.86%. Subjects like English and Information and Communication Technology saw disproportionate failures, dragging down overall results.
Educationists point to structural deficienciesโoutdated curricula, teacher shortages, and policy inertiaโas root causes. But the crisis runs deeper. The 2024 protests, initially sparked by opposition to a job quota system, spiralled into violence, with students cancelling exams under pressure and results partially calculated via SSC score mapping.
โThis isnโt just a failure of students,โ said Professor Kabir. โItโs a structural collapse. Weโre standing in front of a mirror, and the flaws are undeniable.โ
The psychological toll of mob rule
Beyond academics, a more insidious force has taken hold: a culture of state-sponsored mob violence and student-led extortion that has shattered the psychological well-being of students, educators, and communities. Since the interim government assumed power in August 2024, reports of unchecked mob attacks have surged. On August 5, protests turned deadly, with arson, vandalism, and murders targeting police, Awami League members, and minorities, particularly Hindus.
The Dhaka Metro Rail and Data Station were torched, and a memorial to police killed in the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack was desecrated by Yunus supporters, who hailed slain terrorists as heroes.
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These acts have instilled widespread fear. Students, once focused on studies, now navigate a climate of intimidation. Reports from Dhaka and Chittagong describe student gangs, emboldened by a lack of accountability, extorting money from peers and teachers under threats of violence. โIโm afraid to go to class,โ said Priya, a 17-year-old HSC candidate from Sylhet, who requested anonymity.
โSome students demand money, saying itโs for โprotest funds.โ If you refuse, they threaten to burn your books or worse.โ Such extortion, coupled with irregular class attendance due to protests, has left students demoralised, with many reporting anxiety and hopelessness.
The psychological impact is profound. A 2025 study by Ain o Salish Kendra documented a rise in mental health issues among students, with 68% of surveyed teens reporting stress-related symptoms linked to campus violence and academic uncertainty. Teachers, too, are affected. โWeโre teaching in fear,โ said a Dhaka college instructor. โMobs disrupt classes, and weโre powerless.โ
The destruction of educational infrastructureโlibraries burned, labs vandalisedโhas further eroded morale, leaving students feeling their futures are being stolen.
State-sponsored impunity and targeted violence
The interim governmentโs leniency toward mob culture has deepened the crisis. The release of convicted terrorists, including Ansarullah Bangla Team leader Jashimuddin Rahmani and Syed Ziaul Haque, linked to the 2015 murder of blogger Avijit Roy, has emboldened radical elements. These freed militants, alongside student mobs, have targeted Awami League supporters and minorities with impunity.
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Since August 2024, Human Rights Watch reports over 200 attacks on Hindu temples and homes, with 17 deaths and thousands displaced. Police, once a stabilising force, have faced brutal assaults, with 23 officers killed in protest-related violence by September 2025.
The August 5 protests, initially student-led, morphed into a broader campaign of vengeance. Awami League offices were looted, and party members faced extrajudicial killings, with 41 reported deaths in Dhaka alone. Protesters who initially demanded quota reform were later attacked by rival groups, leaving 12 dead and hundreds injured. โI protested for justice, but now Iโm hiding,โ said Rafiq, a 19-year-old from Chittagong. โThe mobs donโt care who you areโthey just attack.โ This betrayal has left many students disillusioned, with some abandoning their studies altogether.
A culture of fear and learning deficits
The Education Adviser, in a press statement, acknowledged a โlearning crisisโ rooted in primary education deficits that compound over time. โWe hid the real crisis by celebrating pass rates and GPA-5s,โ the advisor said, calling for a cultural shift. Yet, the governmentโs inaction on mob violence undermines such reforms.
The cancellation of exams under student pressure in 2024, followed by inconsistent evaluation methods, eroded trust in the system. Rural-urban disparities, with pass rates as low as 48% in Comilla compared to 64% in Dhaka, highlight inequity exacerbated by violence disrupting rural schools more severely.
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Drug addiction and reckless behaviour, fueled by a โculture of impunity,โ have further destabilised campuses. Reports from Jessore and Sylhet indicate rising substance abuse among students, with some using protest chaos to traffic drugs. โStudents are lostโsome join mobs out of fear, others for power,โ said a Barisal headmaster. This environment has crushed academic motivation, with attendance dropping 30% in urban colleges since August 2024, per Banbase data.
A call for accountability
The psychological scars of this crisis are evident in rising dropout rates and mental health referrals. Students like Priya describe sleepless nights, haunted by threats and the uncertainty of exams. Parents, too, are on edge, with many pulling children from schools in violence-prone areas. โI want my daughter to learn, not live in fear,โ said a Dhaka mother. Educators warn that without intervention, a generation risks being lost to trauma and disillusionment.
The Yunus administrationโs failure to address mob violence and extortion has drawn sharp criticism. โThe stateโs inaction is complicity,โ said a Human Rights Watch spokesperson, pointing to the governmentโs selective arrests of Awami League members while ignoring radical mobs. The interim regimeโs reliance on Jamaat-e-Islami and freed militants has further eroded public trust, with many fearing a slide toward โmobocracy.โ
A path forward
To salvage Bangladeshโs education system and heal its psychological wounds, urgent action is needed. Restoring security in schools, cracking down on extortion, and prosecuting mob leaders are critical first steps. Mental health support for students and teachers, alongside curriculum reform and teacher training, could address learning deficits. The government must also rebuild trust by ensuring fair exam processes and protecting minority communities from targeted violence.
As Bangladesh stares into the abyss of its lowest HSC pass rate in two decades, the crisis is not just academic but existential. The psychological toll of mob violence, extortion, and targeted attacks threatens to unravel the social fabric. Without decisive leadership, the nation risks losing not only its studentsโ futures but also the hope that once defined its resilience.
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