The release of the 2025 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination results has unveiled a grim reality: Bangladesh\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pass rate, plummeting to a historic low of 58.83%\u2014down from 76% in 2023\u2014reflects 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A System in Collapse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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-5\u2014a sharp drop from 131,376 the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Educationists <\/a>point to structural deficiencies\u2014outdated curricula, teacher shortages, and policy inertia\u2014as 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t just a failure of students,\u201d said Professor Kabir. \u201cIt\u2019s a structural collapse. We\u2019re standing in front of a mirror, and the flaws are undeniable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The psychological toll of mob rule<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Hasina\u2019s Legacy: A visionary leader who steered Bangladesh through chaos<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Smuggled and looted arms, impunity for jihadists deepen security crisis<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Custodial Death: 31 Awami League leaders, activists killed in\u00a014\u00a0months<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. \u201cI\u2019m afraid to go to class,\u201d said Priya, a 17-year-old HSC candidate from Sylhet, who requested anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome students demand money, saying it\u2019s for \u2018protest funds.\u2019 If you refuse, they threaten to burn your books or worse.\u201d Such extortion, coupled with irregular class attendance due to protests, has left students demoralised, with many reporting anxiety and hopelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. \u201cWe\u2019re teaching in fear,\u201d said a Dhaka college instructor. \u201cMobs disrupt classes, and we\u2019re powerless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The destruction of educational infrastructure\u2014libraries burned, labs vandalised\u2014has further eroded morale, leaving students feeling their futures are being stolen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n State-sponsored impunity and targeted violence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The interim government\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teachers announce work abstention protesting police brutality<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rise of Extremism: US Embassy faces threat as Yunus frees convicted militants<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. \u201cI protested for justice, but now I\u2019m hiding,\u201d said Rafiq, a 19-year-old from Chittagong. \u201cThe mobs don\u2019t care who you are\u2014they just attack.\u201d This betrayal has left many students disillusioned, with some abandoning their studies altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n