All colleges in divisional headquarters reopen after unrest-prompted closure

Dhaka, Sep 8 (UNB) - All colleges in the country’s divisional headquarters reopened today (Saturday) following a government announcement, as the educational institutions are now coming back into normalcy after the recent outbreaks of violence. Reporters of UNB from all the divisional headquarters informed that the authorities of all government and non-government colleges decided to reopen their respective institutions. However, classes in some those could not take place today. In Rajshahi, all colleges already reopened at the end of the ordeals, but classes were not held today (Saturday) due to thin attendance of students. All the departments of Rajshahi College, New Degree College, City College and Women’s College were reopened following the government announcement, but few students went to classes today as “panic was still prevailing among them”, campus sources said. Rajshahi saw one of the worst scenes during the chair flare-ups, as one person was killed on the Rajshahi University campus. In Sylhet, all colleges, including Sylhet Osmani Medical College, Madan Mohan College, Government College, MC College and Govt Women’s College resumed classes after the reopening. However, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology will be reopened on September 10 (Monday) and dormitories opened on Sunday for the students. In Barisal, all government and non-government colleges started class Saturday. BM College will resume its classes from Sunday although students were already allowed in their hostels. However, Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Polytechnic Institute have not yet declared the date of reopening. In Khulna, all colleges resumed class Saturday but Khulna University of Engineering Technology (KUET) would reopen on Sunday. The halls of this university already reopened Friday. All colleges reopened in Chittagong, but student turnout at these institutions was very few because of raining today (Saturday). In Comilla, all colleges already opened but Comilla University Syndicate would sit on September 11 to decide the reopening of the university. The government last Monday passed the onus of reopening the country’s public universities to their respective syndicates after reassessing the situation and later ordered the reopening of the colleges. All public universities of the country as well as colleges in the divisional cities were declared closed for indefinite period on August 22 following violent student demonstrations across the country.