Defying government instructions, at least three schools in Gazipur and Narayanganj yesterday held programmes marking Bangabandhu's birth centenary with the participation of almost all their students and also guardians amid coronavirus scare.   

The education ministry on Monday asked all secondary schools to celebrate the day by planting 100 trees on and around school campuses with maximum 25 people taking part in each programme.

Earlier on that day, the government had announced that all educational institutions would remain closed till March 31 as part of measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Yesterday morning, the authorities of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute High School and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Pragati Primary School cut a 100-pound cake in the presence of several hundred students and their guardians, marking Bangabandhu's birth centenary.

"All students and many of their guardians were asked to join the cake-cutting ceremony though the government instructed them to keep the schools closed," one of the guardians told our Gazipur correspondent.

"There were no hand washing arrangements and many of the students were without masks," added the guardian.

Asked, Belayat Hossain, head teacher of Pragati Primary School, said the programme was chalked out much before the government announcement.

"We concluded the programme within a short time." he added.

Gazipur District Education Officer Rebeka Sultana said the school authorities held the programme as they received the instructions on school closure late.

"But they didn't do the right thing. We will take action after investigating the matter," she added.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Narayanganj High School and College held programmes, cut a cake and planted trees with the participation of several hundred students, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.

The guardian of a student alleged that teachers at the school had asked all the students to join the programme, and warned that 10 marks would be deducted in their next exams if they didn't do so.

Kamal Kanti Sarkar, head teacher of the school, however, refuted the allegation.

"The programme had been scheduled much earlier. We did not have time to cancel it," he claimed.

Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Jashim Uddin, who attended the programme, said he had asked the school authorities why students were there.

"The school authorities told me that some over-enthusiastic people went there to join the programme," he said.