The guardians have urged the political parties not to call hartal until the O-level and A-level examinations are over by July 1.

The O-level examinations began on Sunday and the A-level examinations are scheduled for a simultaneous start across the globe on May 17. Candidates for both forms of examinations in the country currently number 4,813.

Nafisa Haq, whose daughter is sitting the O-level examinations, told The Daily Star, "We urge the politicians not to call hartal during the exams and help avert waste of valuable time from the academic lives of our kids."

General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level and Advanced Level exams of EDEXCEL (formerly University of London Examinations and Assessment Council) and University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) are held twice a year.

The British Council administers the examinations.

A recent announcement of the British Council has caused yet more worries for the guardians; it informed the examinees of its inability to hold the examinations in case of a 48-hour shutdown.

In that case, the examinees will have to wait for at least six months for the next available slot to sit the examinations, the guardians said.

The British Council, however, has worked out an alternative schedule to take the examinations.

"We will shift the examinations of morning session to 7:30pm and afternoon session to 10:30pm should there be a 12-hour hartal," a British Council official said.

The council has also requested the opposition parties not to call hartal at least during the examinations, the official added.