Education
Protest 'classes' start Thursday at JU
Symbolic protest classes demanding the opening of the university will be held from Thursday at Jahangirnagar University (JU).
The classes will be held in open space at the campus where any varsity student can take part following the hygiene rules.
Read: Univ Teachers’ Network to hold classes under open sky if unis don't reopen
The organizing teachers of this protest act said that the classes will continue till the campus opens.
Professor Raihan Raine of the Department of Philosophy will take the first class at the pedestal of the university’s central Shaheed Minar 12 pm on Thursday.
He said they will carry out this programme to demand reopening the university. Other teachers will take classes here continuously. This programme will continue until campus opens. Symbolically any student can participate in this class. However, everyone must maintain health guidelines.
If business establishments, recreation centers, other administrative and economic activities can reopen so can universities, following health guidelines. Residential teachers in the university, parents and students- all are aware of Coronavirus now, he added.
Read: Infection rate declining, educational institutions to reopen: Dipu Moni
He also said, “We want to prove by taking classes that it is possible to open a university by following the rules of hygiene.”
It was learned that many teachers including Prof. Anu Muhammad, Prof. Sayed Ferdous, Prof ASM Anwarullah Bhuiyan, Prof. Jamal Uddin, Prof Manosh Chowdhury, Professor Shamima Sultana are willing to take classes.
Prof. Anu Muhammad said that the students are in a more insecure condition outside the campus area than they would be at the university dorms. We have demanded the government to open the university from the beginning of September and make necessary arrangements for the students at the dorms.
In addition to opening the university step by step, the capacity of the medical center should be increased, and necessary Covid-related services should be provided including various tests.
Read: DU dorms to reopen September 1 for final year and Masters students
It was learned that the symbolic protest class event was announced by ‘University Teacher Network' across the country through a press conference yesterday. Teachers with this programme expect it will create public opinion about the opening of the university.
The teachers’ network also suggested some measures to be taken while reopening the universities, including solving the crisis of dorm accommodation and hygiene; Covid test and vaccination at the campus; improved medical center including isolation facility; high speed internet at low cost and arrangements to bring back the students who dropped out due to the pandemic.
DU asks students to provide their vaccination status
Dhaka University students have been asked to provide information regarding Covid-19 vaccination by logging in with their institutional e-mail account.
If they face any trouble while doing this, they were also asked to communicate with the respective department or the admin of the institutional email accounts, said a press release issued from Dhaka University on Wednesday.
READ: DU dorms to reopen September 1 for final year and Masters students
Since the information about vaccination that was emailed to the ICT cell earlier couldn't be linked to the database, students would need to provide the information from their respective profiles by logging in through the institutional e-mail ID at the following address: https:/ssl.du.ac.bd/studentlogin
The move seems to be a part of the university’s preparation to reopen after a long closure since Covid-19 struck Bangladesh in March last year.
READ: Covid-19 vaccine: DU students asked to get registered by March 31
DU dorms to reopen September 1 for final year and Masters students
Dhaka University will reopen residential dormitories from October first week for final year and Masters students and rest of students will be welcomed back to halls by mid-November.
Students were advised to take covid-19 Vaccine by 15 September.
The proposal came after a meeting attended by provosts of the dormitories. However, further decisions will be finalized on Tomorrow deans committee meeting.
Speaking to UNB, Prof KM Saiful Islam Khan, provost of Sir AF Rahman Hall, said almost 80% of the renovations at the hall had been completed and they would be ready to reopen by the first week of October.
Read: School reopening awaits decision from the highest level, says state minister
Prof Saiful said they want to initially open halls for the masters and final year students. After completing the semester final within two weeks, they would leave the dormitories and the rest of students will be welcomed at the dormitories gradually.
The exams will be taken physically as arranging virtual exams is not possible, He added, saying as many as 25% students of the university were not able to follow their classes due to having poor internet coverage in remote villages.
DU vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Dr M Akhtaruzzaman said: “Provost standing committee proposed to reopen dormitories but further decision will be taken tomorrow deans committee meeting,"
Read: DU students demand removal of outsiders from dorms
“We need to know the overall condition of the halls. In line with the discussion, the reopening of the university as well as halls will be considered,” he added.
School reopening awaits decision from the highest level, says state minister
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain said schools, closed since March last year due to Covid-19 pandemic, will be reopened after getting directives from the highest level of the government.
“We can’t reopen the schools suddenly. We have taken all-out preparations and if the Prime Minister orders us today we are prepared to reopen schools from tomorrow,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.
Zakir said experts favour reopening of schools as the students are out of classes for the past one and half years.
“We also face problems in online,” he said.
Also read: Schools, colleges asked to prepare for reopening, guidelines issued
Schools, colleges asked to prepare for reopening, guidelines issued
The education authorities have issued some guidelines as part of preparations to reopen educational institutions which have remained closed since March last year due to Covid pandemic.
The teachers of primary schools have been instructed to return to their work places from Tuesday.
Read:SSC, HSC exams either in Nov or Dec next: Education Minister
The Primary Education Directorate asked the upazila/thana education officers to inspect the schools their jurisdiction within a week.
Besides, it also gave instructions to keep the institutions clean and tidy by taking utmost care to prevent dengue.
The primary school authorities were instructed to prepare their wash block accordingly.
Besides, the Directorate of Secondary & Higher Education (DSHE) asked the regional directors to take necessary preparations to reopen schools and colleges.
According to education ministry sources, most of the teachers and staffers of the educational institutions have been vaccinated.
Read:Educational institutions to remain closed until July 31, says govt
Besides, sources within the University Grants Commission claimed that around 80 % students of Dhaka University got their Covid jabs.
However schools will reopen only after the covid positivity rate comes below 5 %, said a source of the education ministry.
In that case, the closure of schools might be extended again.
Director of DSHE professor Shahedul Kabir Chowdhury said the regional directors were asked to inspect and submit a report on the final preparations on resuming academic activities at educational institutions.
Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Alamgir Md Mansurul Alam said teachers have been told to return to schools.
Read:WB approves $191mn credit for Bangladesh’s education sector
"We also instructed our officials to visit institutions and submit a report on preparations to reopen. Failure to do so will result in administrative actions," he added.
The government shut down educational institutions on March 17, last year after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8.
Then the closure was extended several times until August 31 this year.
AKDN builds on over 3 decades of "excellence in education" in Bangladesh
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) on Saturday said they are in the process of establishing a new centre of educational excellence in Dhaka – The Aga Khan Academy.
This is being done in line with the renewed protocol of cooperation signed between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Government of Bangladesh.
The Aga Khan has recently established a single agency, the Aga Khan Schools (AKS), which embraces both the Aga Khan Academies and the Aga Khan Education Services schools globally.
Read IPDC Extends Partnership with NEF Sports Academy
The agency is consolidating its future education activities in Bangladesh around the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, said the AKDN on Saturday.
Designed to international standards, the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka will also offer an award winning campus built to accommodate 1,200 students, with residential facilities on an 18-acre site.
Students and teachers will have access to purpose-built facilities and abundant green spaces for learning, recreation, sports and the arts.
Read Aga Khan Academy set to develop future leaders for Bangladesh
The Academy in Dhaka will be the fourth in the global network of 18 Aga Khan Academies, joining those in Mombasa (Kenya), Hyderabad (India) and Maputo (Mozambique).
The Academy plans to welcome the first cohort of students in July 2022, thereby continuing the AKDN’s tradition of providing outstanding educational services in Bangladesh for more than three decades.
Applications can be made to 25 US universities through GRC
GRC Services Limited has launched an online university application site for Bangladeshi students who want to study in US universities.
Through this site, one can apply to 98 universities, including 25 tier-one ones of the US. Some of these universities are issuing I-20 without accepting fees. Besides, all the universities are accepting tuition fees after getting student visas.
Read:‘Bangabandhu Corner’ set up at Seoul National University Library
The rate of students willing to study abroad is growing. To meet this demand, GRC has been working since 2013 to ensure easy admission with scholarships for Bangladeshi students in the best universities in the world.
Through the GRC website, students can easily apply to the universities of their choice. One can submit the application fee with any bank and mobile banking service in Bangladesh.
Also, Bangladeshi students are now getting the opportunity to live in the US permanently after finishing their studies. Now most of the universities have STEM programmes through which the students will get the opportunity to work for 2-3 years after the completion of the programme.
In addition, if a student gets a permanent job contract during this period, he or she will be eligible for permanent residency.
Read: Bangabandhu Corner to be established at Lovely Professional University in Punjab
"We have entered into agreements with 25 tier-one university authorities and have agreements with 98. Students who apply through our site also receive the highest percentage of scholarships. There are also many more facilities for them," said Mohammad Mozammel Haque Titu, managing director of GRC.
GRC prepares students to meet the requirements of the universities, and students can pay their application fees from home through the GRC website as it accepts all sorts of bank and mobile financial services, according to a press release.
RU teacher takes in-person symbolic class to protest long closure
An associate professor of mass communication and journalism at Rajshahi University on Monday took a symbolic class under a campus tree protesting the prolonged Covid-induced closure of educational institutions.
Prof. Abdullah Al Mamun took the class on relation between media and power at around 11 am in front of the Rabindranath Tagore academic building of the university.
On Friday he declared in a Facebook post to meet the students under a tree from the following week if classrooms don’t open immediately.
Also read: RU to hold exams scrapped in 2019, 2020 in-person from this month
A total of 15 students from different departments were present in the class maintaining corona hygiene rules.
RU Anthropology teacher associate professor Bokhtiar Ahmed and Folklore department associate professor Amirul Islam appeared in the class and delivered speeches.
Amirul declared to take classes from next Tuesday saying symbolic classes seek to send a message to the government to open the educational institutions maintaining hygiene rules immediately.
Also read: Rajshahi University BCL locks up VC
Abdullah termed the government plan aon the opening the educational institutions illogical.
Professor Dr Rasheda Akhtar appointed new treasurer of JU
Dr Rasheda Akhtar, professor of Anthropology department and Dean of Social Sciences faculty of Jahangirnagar University, has been appointed as new treasurer of the university.
Communication officer of the University, Professor Dr Mohmmad Mohiuddin confirmed the decision to UNB Tuesday.
Also read: Prof Imdadul made new VC of JnU
Dr Rasheda Akhtar will be substituting former treasurer Professor Monjurul Islam, he said.
Covid surge in Bangladesh: Primary schools to remain shut until Aug 31
Amid the recent spike in Coronavirus, the government has extended the closure of primary schools and kindergartens across Bangladesh until August 31 to protect students from virus infections.
The decision in this regard was taken on Friday, said a handout came from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.
The handout said students have to abide by health guidelines and regulations issued from time to time by the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Division, Ministry of Public Administration and Health Services Department.
Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Schools, colleges to remain closed until Aug 31
The government has also extended the closure of secondary and higher secondary-level educational institutions until August 31.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
As the Delta variant of Covid-19 engulfed the country, Bangladesh recorded 239 more deaths caused by the virus in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Besides, 15,271 new people came out Covid positive during the period after the test of 52,282 samples, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh cases took the country’s Covid death tally to 20,255 today while the caseload to 1,226,253.
The country has been seeing nearly 200 deaths a day for the past two weeks, shattering the records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day.
Also read: Reopening of schools cannot wait: UNICEF, UNESCO
Meanwhile, the daily test-positivity rate declined slightly to 29.21% from Wednesday's 30.12% while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
However, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.65 % during the period, said the DGHS.