Mohiuddin Alamgir

Six months ago, Abul Bashar invested around Tk 1.5 lakh in setting up two new 40-yard tables at his home-cum-factory. He was targeting bumper demand of batik clothes ahead of Pahela Baishakh and Eid-ul-Fitr.

Defying the government’s request to stay home to stem the spread of coronavirus, Sharif Hossain left his house in Sonargaon before the crack of dawn last Friday.

Yet another paid for his brutality while assassinating Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members as sacked army captain Abdul Majed, a “self-confessed killer” of the Father of the Nation, walked to the gallows early yesterday.

The University Grants Commission yesterday said it would not accept the private universities’ request to postpone its decisions on stopping awarding grades to students without holding semester finals, enrolling new students without admission tests, and holding tests online.

The government is set to unveil its third stimulus package soon, offering cash aid to poor families that have been hit hard by the ongoing shutdown amid coronavirus scare.

Private universities authorities called for the review of the University Grants’ Commission directives to stop assigning students’ grades without holding semester finals, enrolling new students without admission tests, and holding tests online due to the coronavirus situation.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) yesterday asked private universities to stop assigning their current students grades through online exams and evaluation, and to stop enrolling new students sans admission tests, due to the shutdown of educational institutions in light of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Many private universities have decided to assign students grades without holding semester finals and enroll new students sans admission tests, due to the evolving novel coronavirus situation.

After the postponement of HSC exams for an indefinite period, uncertainty now looms over annual final exams at English-medium schools as well as half-yearly exams of Bangla medium primary and secondary schools.

The authorities are yet to introduce regular online classes for school students as educational institutions remain indefinitely closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

After the first day of televised classroom lectures for secondary school students yesterday, guardians proposed that authorities address loud background music and unclear whiteboard. They also proposed the government should air these lectures through Bangladesh Television and if possible through some other private TV channels.

Authorities are all set to provide education to secondary students through television from today, aiming to minimise the loss of the academic session due to closure of educational institutions.

The government has failed to keep the promise to publish a fresh list of razakars by the 50th Independence and National Day.

Awami League candidate Md Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin won the by-election to Dhaka-10 constituency, held amid the lowest ever voter turnout due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Many coaching centres in the capital are continuing their operations amid thin presence of students, defying a government order to keep educational institutions shut down as a preventive measure against possible spread of novel coronavirus in the country.

Despite growing concern over coronavirus, schools in the capital appear to be ill-prepared to contain any possible spread of the virus.

The government has asked all students of secondary schools and colleges to wash their hands frequently and avoid any kind of gathering as preventive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.

As the first cases of coronavirus were detected in the country yesterday, education ministries said they would take all necessary measures to curb the spread of the virus.

With the first confirmation of coronavirus cases in Bangladesh, when asked whether educational institutions will be closed, State Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury says they will act in line with the directive of the health ministry.

The month-long Amar Ekushey book fair, the country’s biggest congregation of booklovers, authors, and publishers, ended yesterday with a massive turnout.