Dhaka, July 21 -- A recent notification from the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE), following a decision made on July 15, 2025, has sent a shockwave through the country's educational landscape.

The directive states that for this year's Primary Stipend Examination, only students from government-run primary schools will be eligible to participate, with a cap allowing a maximum of 40% of students from each eligible institution, considering their meritocracy based on the first-term exam performance, to sit for the exam.

While seemingly a procedural adjustment, this decision is, in reality, a regressive step that erects an unjust barrier, systematically excluding over a million children and undermining the very principle of equal opport...