'12 lakh SSC candidates will face bleak future'

They also decided to launch agitation soon to compel the government to cancel the decision.

The meeting was organised by Shikkha Andolon Mancha (Platform for Education Movement) at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University.

Terming the proposed system as 'deception of the government with the nation in the name of educational reform' the speakers said it would rather downgrade the quality of education.

"We are going to launch strong agitation on emergency basis to resist the government's deception in the name of unified education system," said Prof Siddiqur Rahman of the Institute of Education and Research (IER).

He said the government's decision cannot be implemented pragmatically as more than 7500 schools across the country have no commerce teachers.

Dr Zafar Iqbal of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology stressed the need for a united movement incorporating the students, teachers and guardians against the unified education system.

"If we fail to compel the government to cancel its decision, the lives of 12 lakh SSC candidates for 2007 will be destroyed," he added.

"We will definitely be able to force the government to cancel the decision as general people have already opposed it," said Prof Ajoy Roy, president of Shikkha Andolon Mancha.

He said his organisation will soon announce its different agitation programmes including rallies, processions and strikes protesting the unified education system.

Presided over by General Secretary of Shikkha Andolon Mancha Ashraf Uddin Akash, the meeting was also addressed by Dhaka University Teachers' Association President AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof Shahidul Islam, Prof Amir Hossain, Progotishil Chhatra Jote leaders Khalequzzaman Lipon, Baki Billah and Taslima Aktar Lima.