All secondary-level schools, colleges, madrassahs, and technical educational institutions in five districts, including Dhaka, have been closed for Monday, a day after the resumption of classes in the schools and colleges on Sunday amid a fresh heatwave alert.
Many students in government primary schools, government and non-government secondary level schools, and colleges across Bangladesh became sick and remained absent, while two teachers reportedly died of ‘heatstroke’ on Sunday.
No decision was made to close primary-level schools.
All pre-primary level classes, however, have remained closed until further notice since April 21.
On Sunday, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued a countrywide third-phase heatwave alert for the next 72 hours.
The alert came after at least 14 districts saw their day temperatures soar to 40C or above on Sunday.
A press release issued by the education ministry read that all secondary-level schools, colleges, madrassahs, and technical educational institutions in Dhaka, Chuadanga, Jashore, Khulna, and Rajshahi districts would be closed only for Monday.
The ministry said that it had made the decision after consulting with the health and family welfare ministry and the BMD.
Educational institutions with air-conditioned systems, however, could continue in-person classes, it also said.
The release added that a fresh decision would be taken today about the situation.
Earlier on Sunday, the education minister, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, told reporters after a programme that it was not rational to close all educational institutions in the country following the forecast for five districts where temperatures could exceed 40C.
‘We should avoid the mentality of closing all educational institutions across the country considering the temperature of Dhaka city,’ he said, adding that some guardians were complaining about the resumption of classes but the government could not operate based on these complaints.
In a press release issued on the same day, the primary and mass education ministry said that primary-level schools would be opened as these classes were being held in the morning.
Earlier, after a seven-day closure due to the ongoing heatwave, the educational institutions resumed in-person classes on Sunday by shortening the duration of classes and suspending all outdoor activities.
At Hatiya Janakallan Shikkah Trust High School under Haitya upazila in Noakhali, 10 to 12 students of classes VI and X became sick due to excessive heat at about 10:00am on Sunday during classes, said Noakhali district education officer Nur Uddin Md Jahangir.
He said that the students were admitted to a local hospital and sent to their homes after primary treatment.
The officer also said that two students of the Joy Narayanpur Islamia Fazil Madrassah under Begumganj upazila in the same district also became sick due to heat during classes.
In Jashore, Ahsan Habib, 37, assistant teacher of Ahmadabad Secondary School at Silampur village under Jashore sadar upazila, died of a reported heatstroke at about 9:00am on Sunday.
Alauddin, an assistant teacher at the school, said that the victim might have died of heatstroke as he worked hard in a paddy field before going to school.
Hasib Mohammad Al Hasan, medical officer at Jashore General Hospital, told reporters that the patient was brought dead to the hospital and an autopsy report could find the reason for the death.
United News of Bangladesh reported that in Chattogram, Maulana Md Mostak Ahmed Kutubi Alkaderi, 55, from Cox’s Bazar district and teacher of Khitapchar Azizia Mabudia Alim Madrassah in Boalkhali upazila, fell unconscious while going to his workplace from his home in the Mohra area of Chandgaon.
Later, doctors declared him dead at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.
The Directorate General of Health Services confirmed a total of seven deaths from heatstroke as of Sunday.
Meanwhile, in the capital, Ispahani Girls School and College principal Md Enayetur Rahman said that in classes, the rate of student presence was 40 to 45 per cent.
Nilkhet Govt Primary School head teacher Jannatul Naima said that around 50 per cent of their students were absent.
At Ideal School and College, Banasree Branch, a Class IX student became sick during a class while around 50 per cent of students in the class were absent.
A guardian of a primary-level student at Excel Academy in the Dhanmondi area asked who would take responsibility if their children became sick due to the heatwave.
In Munshiganj, a Class VI student fainted during class due to heat at Banari Multilateral High School under Tongibari upazila in the district in the morning.
The school headmaster, Mohammad Kayesur Rahman, said that they took the student to the Tongibari Upazila Health Complex, and currently she is in stable condition.
