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