The High Court (HC) today (January 14, 2024) ordered the authorities concerned to recruit 285 people with disabilities on the basis of quota in government primary schools in upazilas of the country. The court also ordered to complete the recruitment process within 90 days. An HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zeenat Haque passed the order after hearing a petition in this regard. Advocate Mohammad Siddique Ullah Miah stood for the petitioners in the court while Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta represented the state. Read more: Prime Minister's Gold Medalist returns awards for education in disgust over corrupt teacher recruitment process at RU Calling the HC order an exemplary verdict, Advocate Siddique Ullah expressed hope that the authorities concerned will execute the order soon. A total of 245 candidates with disabilities submitted a writ petition with the HC challenging the legality of not recruiting them despite a quota. Secretaries to the ministries of Primary and Mass Education and Public Administration, and director general of the Directorate of Primary Education were made respondents to the rule. Last year, the government recruited 37,574 people for primary schools as assistant teachers. On January 17 of the same year, the HC ordered to reserve posts for 114 people with disabilities in government primary schools in upazilas across the country. Read more: Mohibul becomes minister of education Moreover, the HC issued a rule asking to explain as to why people with disabilities won’t be recruited under the quota. On December 11 last year, the final hearing of the petition ended but the court set January 14 this year for delivering the verdict.

Authorities indefinitely shut down a government primary school in Laksam upazila of Cumilla district on Tuesday after its all eight teachers tested Covid-19 positive. The teachers, including the headmaster, were from Paschimgaon Government Model Primary School in Laksam municipality. Abdullah Al Mamun, upazila education officer told UNB the school was ordered to close at 12 pm on Tuesday after being informed by the teachers. “It will remain shut until further notice,” he said. Also read: Classes to go online if Covid spreads to educational institutions: Minister The Covid infected teachers are headmaster Shampa Rani Saha, assistant teacher Md Shah Alam, Md Ekramul Haque Khondoker, Montu Chandra Cghosh, Umme Kulsum, Bilkis Nsarin, Kamrunnahar and Rubina Islam. Shampa Rani said she and another teacher were on leave Saturday due to fever while on Sunday two more teachers reported being sick. On Tuesday my husband and my samples came out Covid-19 positive. Later samples of the other teachers in the school were sent to the upazila health complex. After all of them tested Covid-19 positive, the upazila education officer was informed about the matter. Also read: 80% Covid patients in Bangladesh of Delta variant: BSMMU survey Around 600 students are currently enrolled in the Paschimgaon Government Model Primary School. It was not immediately known if any of the students has been affected.

Cumilla, Oct 16 (UNB) – Academic activities at nearly 300 government primary schools are being seriously hampered due to the shortage of headmasters and teachers.