Bangladesh resumes in-person academic activities after 18 months

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Nationwide in-person academic activities in schools and colleges in Bangladesh resumed on Sunday after nearly 18 months of impasse due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 40 million students at primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels started to attend classes in-person, though as part of pandemic measures students at the primary level will attend classes once a week until further notification.

“I feel as I felt during my first day at school nearly 10 years back,” Ruiah Swaleha Sarah, a student at the Wills Little Flower School and College in the capital Dhaka told Anadolu Agency while entering her classroom Sunday morning.

Another student, Ishamam Zaman, said he was very pleased after meeting his friends after a long gap.

But parents are still scared about the safety and security of their children. They want to see the school authorities continuing proper safety measures as observed on the first day of schooling.

“My daughter was almost desperate to attend the school, after getting bored staying at home for nearly two years. But in case of any loopholes or lack of proper maintenance of COVID-19 health guidelines at schools and colleges, our children may be contaminated by the virus,” Zillur Rahman, a parent, told Anadolu Agency, while waiting outside after sending her daughter inside the school campus.

Meanwhile, teachers and authorities have assured the families that there would be no lack or negligence in maintaining health guidelines as students’ safety is their top priority.

“We are maintaining three feet distance in the classrooms while we are advising our students how to maintain COVID-19 health tips,” Rashida Akhter, a teacher at a private school in Dhaka told Anadolu Agency.

The Bangladesh government declared the closure of all academic institutes, including schools, colleges, and universities, in March last year to stem the spread of the lethal virus.

Universities are set to resume in-person academic functions from Oct. 15 on the condition of maintenance of the health guidelines and vaccination of all students by that time.

The South Asian delta nation of 165 million people has so far registered 26,880 deaths and over 1.5 million cases with more than 1.47 million recoveries.