On Sunday, August 18, Bangladesh reopened all its educational institutions, including universities, secondary schools, and colleges after more than a month of closure. The schools and colleges had been shut down since July 17 following violent student protests that also led to the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office.
Institutions Closed Upon Student Protests
The closures of all educational institutions were a precautionary measure after protests erupted over demands for changes to the job quota system. To ensure safety among students, the government decided to keep schools and colleges closed indefinitely. On Thursday, August 15, the Ministry of Education issued a directive to resume classes. Following this, all educational institutions reopened on August 18. According to Somoy Television, a Bengali news channel, a notification from Deputy Secretary Mosammat Rahima Akhtar instructed schools to start classes again, following orders from Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
Traffic Jams In Dhaka Upon Schools Reopening
The reopening of schools saw students in their uniforms heading back to school, with many being accompanied by their parents. This influx of people caused significant traffic jams across Dhaka. The academic year in Bangladesh weekly runs from Sunday to Thursday. Although classes were initially set to resume on August 4 for government primary schools, this date was pushed back. The postponed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams are now scheduled to start on September 11 and end on October 23.
Significant Step Amid Crisis-Stricken Nation
Public universities have been closed since July 1 due to a strike by the teachers protesting a new pension scheme. Even though the educational institutions were officially declared open on August 7, full academic activities had to be delayed because many students were still not attending. The reopening of all educational institutions marks a significant step toward normalcy in the education sector of crisis-stricken Bangladesh, which had been disrupted by recent political and social upheavals. Moreover, student protests erupted in Dhaka following the new job quota introduced by the High Court suggesting at least 30% of seats reserved for the descendants of freedom fighters in the Bangladesh Liberation War, for civil service posts. The protests soon turned into violent riots across all streets of Bangladesh, leading to the fall of its government and the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from its office.