The government has backtracked on its decision to impose separate examination fees on students at government primary schools across the country following widespread criticism.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education had recently set the fees at Tk 30 per student for Class III, Tk 40 for Class IV, and Tk 50 for Class V.

Md Shakhawat Hossain, the Ministry Secretary, confirmed the decision to reverse the implementation of the fees. ‘We took the decision on Monday,’ he added.

Following the initial news of the proposed primary-level examination fees, massive criticism flooded social media platforms, with citizens and experts condemning the move. Currently, around 10 million (one crore) students are enrolled across more than 65,000 government primary schools throughout the country.

In Bangladesh, primary education spans up to Class V, with schools conducting three examinations a year: quarterly, half-yearly, and annual. There are no formal examinations for students in Classes I and II.

The decision to charge fees heavily conflicted with Article 17 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, which mandates that the State shall adopt effective measures for the purpose of establishing a uniform, mass-oriented, and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law.