After a long shutdown of 18 months in the wake of the raging Covid-19 pandemic, primary, secondary and higher secondary schools opened doors on Sunday to resume in-person classes and examinations.
Students were found excited and expressed their happiness as they were able to attend classes physically after a long gap while teachers also sighed in relief to find students in classrooms.
However, an uncertainty looms as the government said the academia may again face closure if the Covid situation turns worse.
Meanwhile, the head of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has announced that students will not be allowed to consume their tiffin or any food on the school premises as part of the safety protocols.
Besides, all teachers across the country have been instructed to ensure that students wear masks and practise social distancing.
According to the government decision, from Sunday the Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate examinees of 2020-2021 session and the Primary Education Completion examinees will join classes regularly while the students of grade I to IV and grade VI to IX once a week initially.
Earlier on Saturday, Education Minister Dipu Moni said the educational institutions will be shut again if the Covid-19 infection rate goes up.
On Friday, Health Minister Zahid Maleque also hinted that schools and colleges would be closed if the coronavirus infection rises.
Earlier, the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 recommended vaccination of at least 80 per cent of teachers and staff.
The government decided to reopen in-person classroom teaching earlier this month, in view of the improving Covid situation in the country, and issued guidelines subsequently for the purpose.
The educational institutions had been shut since March 17 last year in Bangladesh after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8. Later, the closure was extended several times.
On August 26 this year, the authorities extended the closure until September 11.
According to a UN report issued in August, Bangladesh is the only country in South Asia and one of only 14 globally that kept schools fully closed during the pandemic.
