University Teachers' Network on Tuesday urged the authority to reopen universities from first week of September otherwise they announced to hold symbolic classes in open spaces protesting the closure.

They proposed a roadmap on how to reopen campuses gradually during a virtual press conference conducted by Dhaka University Prof Gitiara Nasreen.
According to the roadmap, the residential halls should be reopened immediately (from September 1) for honours and masters students. Once their exams are over, the other batches should get residential facilities step by step.

"No examination can be taken without ensuring residential facilities. Students who will stay in the halls and those who will come from home should participate in exams in separate rooms to curb Covid-19 transmission," said Chittagong University Assistant Professor Maidul Islam while presenting the keynote paper.

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After completion of the exams, there could be a "hybrid system", where students should get the opportunity to participate in classes -- both online and offline. Fifty percent of the students could join online and rest could start regular classes in the classroom.

"If a student falls ill, he/she can join online," Maidul Islam added.

According to the keynote paper, Covid-19 testing and vaccination for students should be installed at campus medical centres on a priority basis. The capacity of medical centres, along with isolation facility, should be upgraded.

The University Teachers' Network also demanded starting an online teaching-learning management system for teachers and a separate committee in each university to train them.

They demanded measures necessary for mental wellbeing of teachers and students and high-speed internet at low cost.

Teachers also demanded identifying students who drop out and make arrangements for their safety net.

READ: CU postpones exams, Dhaka students to return home by university bus

Moreover,  some students of Dhaka University today protested the long closure and demanded immediate reopening of Dhaka University.
The protesters threatened to go for tougher movement  if the university authority continue remaining closure.
"Universities failed to draw a roadmap to reopen universities. we want to say, reopen campuses immediately or we will go for tougher movement," protesters said at a human chain held at the base of Raju memorial sculpture at the university.