Education Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday said she hopes to reopen the educational institutions by this month, but a decision will be taken after a meeting with Covid-19 advisory committee later in the night.

“We will sit with the National Advisory Committee on Covid tonight and we’ll make a decision after observing the current Covid situation,” she told reporters.

Read: Dipu Moni hints at reopening of educational institutions soon

The matter will also be discussed with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said Dipu who talked to journalists after attending the oath taking ceremony for 29 newly elected UP chairmen at Chandpur deputy commissioner office.

She said when reopened classes will be taken considering the Covid situation.

On January 21, the government announced that all the schools and colleges of the country will remain closed from January 21 to February 6 amid a renewed surge in Covid-19 cases largely due to new Omicron variant.

The shutdown was extended until February 20 for the safety of the students as the virus continued to spread.

The following day, the education ministry issued an 11-point directive, including resuming online classes, for schools and colleges during the closure.

Besides, the vaccination of students, aged between 12 to 17 years, against Covid-19 was directed to be continued following the health guidelines in coordination with the zonal offices of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, District Education Office, Upazila Secondary Education Offices, local administrations and Civil Surgeons.

Read: Removal of VC up to President Hamid: Dipu Moni to SUST students

After a 17-month Covid-induced closure, the students in Bangladesh returned to their classrooms on September 12 last year.

The government shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020, after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8 and later the closure was extended several times.