‘If student remains absent for 10 days, inform ministry’

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid today instructed the authorities of all educational institutions across the country to inform his ministry the names and identities of the students, who remain absent for more than 10 days.

The minister informed reporters about the instruction at his office at Secretariat on the first day of office after a nine-day Eid vacation, Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports.

The minister said he will discuss with the institutions’ authorities steps to be taken to curb terrorism and militancy. The initiatives will be taken as part of the government's anti-militancy campaign, Nahid briefed reporters.

The instruction came in the wake of the terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone Gulshan on July 1 that left 22 people including 17 foreigners and two policemen dead.

Six militants were also killed during the hostage crisis incident. Of them, some were identified as students of different private educational institutions who remained missing for months.

Later, Islamic State claimed responsibility of Gulshan cafe attack, according to US-based SITE Intelligence Group.

Six days into the Gulshan café attack, Sholakia came under such attack on Eid day on July 7. Four people -- two policemen, a woman and a suspected assailant -- died during the attack near the Sholakia Eidgah where hundreds of thousands had gathered for Eid congregation.

Police have identified the “assailant”, who was gunned down at the site, was a university student in Dhaka and was missing since March.