A writ petition has been filed on Sunday with the High Court challenging the government's decision to continue the classes at all the primary schools till the 20th Ramadan.
Md Eunus Ali Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, submitted the petition as public interest litigation, requesting the HC to order the government for keeping the primary schools closed during the whole month of Ramadan.
In the petition the lawyer prayed to the court to issue a rule upon the government bodies to explain as to why the government decision to keep primary schools open till the 20th Ramadan shall not be declared illegal and as to why the respondents shall not be directed to keep close all the educational institutions in Bangladesh during the month of Ramadan.
Citing the petition, Eunus Ali said that all educational institutions of the country remain shut during Ramadan as around 90 per cent people are Muslims here.
The writ petition said that the people have been suffering from heat wave in recent days. In this situation the decision of keeping open the primary schools can be serious health risk for students, the petition also read.
“Earlier, all educational institutions were always closed during the holy month of Ramadan. So I am praying for instructions not to keep the schools open in this circumstance,” also mentioned the petitioner.
Since the teachers cannot pay attention in teaching in class by fasting during the month of Ramadan and since the outbreak of Coronavirus has not finished yet, we seek instructions to close the schools in Ramadan, the lawyer said.
The HC may hear the petition on Monday, added the lawyer.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain on March 19 said that all government primary schools would remain open until 20th Ramadan.
The decision was made to compensate the learning loss during the closure of educational institutions due to Covid-19 pandemic, he also said.
The state minister made the announcement while speaking at a ceremony marking the founding centenary of Khanjanmara Government Primary School at Roumari upazila in Kurigram.
In-person classes in primary schools fully resumed 15 March after 726 days following the pandemic-induced school closures.
bikashju@gmail.com