DU in-person classes, exams resume today

In-person classes and exams of Dhaka University resume today after over 18 months as the pandemic has eased in the country.

"Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman will visit classrooms at the arts faculty around 11:00am as the university's academic activities are going to start from today," a press release of the DU Public Relations Office said yesterday.

Students are allowed to attend classes on the campus provided they show the proof of receiving at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine and maintain health guidelines properly, said the authorities.

Like all other educational institutions in the country, the DU was shut in March last year to curb the spread of novel coronavirus.

On October 5 this year, the university reopened its residential halls to its fourth year honours and master's students who got at least one dose of Covid vaccine.

Second- and first-year honours students were allowed into the halls from October 10, maintaining Covid safety protocols.

COVERING ACADEMIC LOSS

The DU academic council in a meeting a few months ago had decided to cut the durations of semester and academic year to cover academic loss.

It decided that a semester would end in four months instead of six months and the academic year in eight months instead of 12, DU Pro Vice-Chancellor (academic) Prof ASM Maksud Kamal told The Daily Star yesterday.

Before the closure last year, the DU did not use to hold any classes and exams on Saturdays. But from now on, the authorities of all departments and institutes can take classes on Saturdays if they want, the academic council further decided.