Primary schools to stay closed indefinitely

In the face of nationwide anti-discrimination student movement, primary schools will remain closed indefinitely. The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on Saturday said that primary schools are not opening from Sunday.

Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, senior information officer of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, said, "We‍‍`ve withdrawn from the previous decision. For now, primary schools are not opening from Sunday."

On July 31, the government decided to reopen public primary schools in the country from Sunday after a sudden closure amid the quota protests across the country.

However, the primary schools in 12 city corporations of the country and in municipalities of Narsingdi will remain closed for the time being, said a press release of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

All educational institutions of the country have been closed since July 16 due to the quota reform movement, a day after violence flared up across the country surrounding the movement for government jobs.

At least 32 children have died during student protests that engulfed Bangladesh last month, the UN‍‍`s children‍‍`s agency has said.

A spokesperson for the UN agency said most of those killed were aged 13 or older, with one under five and one child aged between six and 12.

However,  responding to the UNICEF statement, the government on Saturday said that it has on information right now about the 32 fatalities.