All secondary-level schools in the northern district of Rajshahi have been declared closed for two days, starting from today (January 21, 2024), due to severe cold. All primary-level schools are also closed today, according to an official notification signed by Dr Sharmin Ferdous Chowdhury, deputy director (acting) of secondary and higher secondary education in Rajshahi zone. Local meteorological department yesterday predicted that the district would experience less than 10 degrees Celsius temperature for the next two days (January 21 and 22). Following the forecast, education officers of the district held a meeting yesterday and took the decision to keep the primary and secondary schools closed. Read more: UGC forcibly imposed GST system on us: JnU Teachers Association Saidul Islam, primary education officer of the district, told UNB’s Rajshahi correspondent that academic activity at the primary schools will remain closed only for Sunday but the offices will remain open as usual. “Observing Sunday’s weather, the next course of action will be decided,” he said. The district witnessed a fall of four degree Celsius temperature within a span of two days. The local Met Office yesterday recorded 9.8 degrees Celsius temperature against 13.8 degree Celsius a day before. Dense fog blankets the whole district while wind has been blowing. As a result, a severe cold is being felt. Rajib Khan, observer at Rajshahi Meteorological Observatory, said the minimum temperature in Rajshahi dropped to 9.6 degrees Celsius on January 13. The second lowest temperature of the season was recorded at 9.8 degrees Celsius at 7:30 am yesterday. Read more: Educational institutions shut in Kurigram due to cold wave On Friday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 13.8 degrees Celsius, he said. The temperature also decreased yesterday after dense fog had descended, he said, forecasting that such weather may persist throughout January. On January 16, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) issued a circular saying that the education authorities in any district can close down schools in case the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius. According to the circular, “A cold wave is sweeping different parts of the country and as a result the educational activities are being seriously hampered. The regional deputy directors in consultation with the district education officers can keep the educational institutions under secondary level closed if the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius in any district.” Read more: Mild cold wave sweeps 3 northern districts: Met Office

As many as 10,500 students will get scholarships based on the results of  Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations of 2023. Secondary schools can be shut if temperature drops below 10 C: DSHE Of them, 1125 students under nine general boards will be given merit scholarships while 9,375 general scholarships. A notice, signed by Prof. Nehal Ahmed, Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), was issued in this regard on Tuesday. Nowfel wants new unis to refrain from running undergraduate courses at start of journey The education boards have been instructed to publish a gazette in this regard within January 21. Those who will get the scholarship under merit list will be provided Tk 825 per month and a lump sum Tk 1,800 once a year and the students under general list will be given Tk 375 per month and the lump sum Tk 750 once a year. Venice hosts congress of Bangladeshi students in northern Italy

Education authorities in any district can shut down schools in case the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, said the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) in a circular on Tuesday. Nowfel wants new unis to refrain from running undergraduate courses at start of journey According to the circular, “A cold wave is sweeping different parts of the country and as a result the educational activities are being seriously hampered. The regional deputy directors in consultation with the district education officers can keep the educational institutions under secondary level shut if the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius in any district.” LDDP to train 600 veterinarians across the country The institutions which will be shut due to low temperature will remain closed until the temperature rises above 10 degrees Celsius. Venice hosts congress of Bangladeshi students in northern Italy

Department of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has asked schools not to hold the conventional test or model test for the students of class VI and VII as per the new curriculum.   The DSHE issued a circular in this regard on Monday. According to the circular, the students of class VI and VII have to complete the learning-teaching and evaluation as per the new curriculum and the ‘Teacher Guide’ provided by the National Curriculum and Teachers board (NCTB). Also read: NCTB gives corrections for 9 mistakes in 3 textbooks of new curriculum Besides, the guidelines by the NCTB about evaluation process will be informed to later, it said. It also asked the teachers, headmasters, Upazila/thana academic supervisors, Secondary Education Officers, Regional Deputy Directors and District Education Officers and regional directors to strengthen their monitoring.  

All educational institutions under Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) will remain closed for two days week as part of government’s move to save power. The students will enjoy holidays on Friday and Saturday, said a notification of Education Ministry issued on Monday. The new arrangement will be effective soon, it said. The authorities concerned of the universities have been asked to take necessary steps in this regard. Also read: Energy crisis: Govt mulls 2-day weekly holiday in educational institutions On June 17, the government directed the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to close shopping malls and kitchen markets by 8 pm to save energy. Also read: SUST to take online classes one day in a week to save energy A letter, signed by Ahsan Kibria Siddiqui, director-general of the Prime Minister's Office (Administration), said that the prime minister has instructed to take necessary steps to ensure that shops, shopping malls, kitchen markets are not kept open after 8 pm.

Directorate Of Secondary and  Higher Education(DSHE) has directed the concerned authorities to use all nearby educational institutions as temporary shelters in the flood hit areas. Also read: Netrakona’s rail link with other parts of country snapped due to flood A notification signed by Director General of the DSHE Nehal Ahmed in this regard was issued on Saturday. The notice asked the authorities concerned to take necessary measures to use the school and college buildings as shelters for the flood-affected people. Also read: Flood situation turns grim: Power supply to Sylhet, Sunamganj suspended

On the eve of schools reopening in Bangladesh after almost 18 months, the head of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has announced that students returning to school from Sunday will not be allowed to consume their tiffin or any food on the school premises, as part of the safety protocols that are being carefully stipulated ahead of the doors opening tomorrow morning.  “Students won’t be  able to have their tiffin on school premises," said Dr. Syed Md. Golam Faruk, who serves as  Director General of DSHE. "The institutions will only allow drinking water." Dr Faruk was responding to reporters' questions after inaugurating the Sylhet Government Women's College's Guardian Camp on Saturday (September 11th) morning. During this time he also requested the parents to avoid gathering at the school premises unnecessarily, for the sake of social distancing. 

The Bangladesh government has suspended all assignment activities for students of classes VI to IX across schools in the country in view of the worsening situation of Covid-19. The order will remain in effect until further notice, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) said in a circular on Friday (May 23, 2021). After a year of closure due to the pandemic, the government on February 27 announced that all schools and colleges would reopen on March 30. Read Schools, colleges likely to remain closed until Eid: Dipu But it had to backtrack on its plan. On March 25, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni announced that all schools and colleges across the country would remain closed till Eid-ul-Fitr vacation. UGC directives for online education On May 7, last year, the University Grants Commission (UGC) published a guideline on conducting courses online, including teaching, arranging exams, making assessments, and also private university admission tests. Also read: Prepare to reopen: DSHE to educational institutions Bangladesh's Covid-19 picture Bangladesh recorded 88 coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours till Friday morning, as the country grapples to contain the second wave of the virus. Health authorities also reported 3,629 new cases, said the Directorate General of Health Services in a handout. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh’s fatalities rise to 7,981 The coronavirus death toll now stands at 10,869 with the mortality rate slightly rising to 1.47 percent after staying at 1.46 for the last two days. Meanwhile, the daily infection rate fell to 14 percent from Thursday’s 14.63 percent. Between April 16 and 19, the country recorded over 100 deaths breaking previous daily records. Bangladesh saw 91, 95 and 98 Covid-related deaths on April 20, 21 and 22, respectively. Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month. Read UGC wants cluster admission system for private universities 

Thousands of students thronged cyber cafes in Panchagarh to apply for stipends by the stipulated time and waited for hours but most of them could not complete the online registration on Sunday.

With a strict health guideline in place and vaccine at hand, the government will likely reopen the educational institutions soon, ending a months-long closure forced by the virus.