As the Covid infection rate continues to fall, health experts advised the government to immediately take adequate preparations along with a roadmap to reopen the educational institutions in Bangladesh gradually. They think the government should first reopen the universities and then colleges, high schools and primary ones within the next month by bringing teachers and eligible students under the vaccine coverage on a priority basis. Read Closure of schools, colleges extended again until Sep 11 They also called for preparing national Covid prevention and control guidelines based on health sciences to ensure academic activities in the educational institutions with safety even if the virus transmission goes up further.  The government shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020 after the country had reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8. Then the closure was extended several times. The latest extension was supposed to continue till August 31. Also read: General holidays extended till May 30 But the government on Thursday extended the closure of secondary and higher secondary-level educational institutions until September 11. On Tuesday, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni said educational institutions in the country will be reopened soon if the coronavirus infection rate continues to decline. Roadmap Talking to UNB, public health expert MH Chowdhury (Lenin), chairman of the medicine department at the Health and Hope Hospital, said the government needs to prepare a roadmap quickly before reopening the educational institutions based on health sciences. Read Protest 'classes' start Thursday at JU

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the Education Ministry to review the situation before reopening educational institutions as those remained shut for the last one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following a rumour over reopening of educational institutions after Eid-ul-Azha, the Ministry of Education clarified that the government is yet to take any decision in this regard.