Private universities demand cheap internet for students
Private universities in a statement yesterday called for introduction of special and affordable internet packages for students' convenience in attending online classes.
These special packages will be for students only and can be offered through the universities.
The Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB), in a statement yesterday also demanded that the decision of raising supplementary duty on mobile phone services be scrapped.
"We believe that costlier mobile internet will add to the burden of students, who are now taking classes online," APUB chairman Sheikh Kabir Hossain said in the statement.
"We urge the government to abolish supplementary duty for students. We also urge the government to provide high-speed internet for free at all public and private universities for the sake of students," he said.
"In an effort to ensure salaries and allowances for teachers and other staff members of private universities, we urge for a block allocation in the 2020-21 budget to provide financial assistance to the universities," Kabir Hossain added.
"It will help the universities to ensure that faculty and staff members are not adversely affected due to any temporary shortage of funds. We have already submitted an application to this effect to the Finance Minister and earnestly request kind consideration of it again," he said.
All educational institutions in the country have been closed since March 17, and the prime minister mentioned that they may remain closed till September due to the Covid-19 situation.
Under the circumstances, educational institutions across the world are undergoing a major transformation as they switch to online learning.
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