Educational institutions to open step by step: minister

Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel today said they want to open educational institutions step by step, considering the risk and analysing public safety.

The minister made the disclosure after a special meeting at the Secretariat regarding the ongoing situation.

The minister said, "We have repeatedly said that public safety is most important when it comes to the question of reopening educational institutions. Considering this issue, we want to open the educational institutions step by step in consultation with all the authorities."

He said primary schools will be opened after assessing the security risk, and then the decision will be taken regarding secondary education.

The education minister said, "We have made the announcement so that innocent students, who participated peacefully in the protests, do not face any kind of harassment."

Asked about the online classes, the minister said, "We are also considering that [online classes] since the internet has become active. We are already in talks with the universities."

The minister further added that they will inform in due time when the Higher Secondary Certificate examination will start.

The nearly three-and-a-half-hour-long meeting, attended by the seven ministers and state ministers, started around 3:20pm.

Law Minister Anisul Huq, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, and State Minister for Post, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak, among others, attended the meeting, with home minister Asaduzzaman Khan in chair.

Secretaries and senior secretaries of the ministries concerned, inspector general of police, director general of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), and top officials of law enforcement and intelligence agencies were also present at the meeting.

After the meeting, Home Minister Asaduzzaman first addressed the media saying that the education minister would decide when the educational institution would open.