Education Ministry bins Befaq notice on reopening madrasas

The government has trashed the announcement by Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh (Befaq), one of the boards for Qawmi madrasas, on resuming academic activities at the country’s madrasas.

An Education Ministry statement issued on Thursday said that the government had not reached any decision on reopening the madrasas. 

But a notice signed by acting director general of Befaq Maulana Mohammad Zobair claimed that the government had approved the reopening of all the Qawmi madrasas of the country from August 16. “This is not true,” the ministry statement said.

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Earlier, leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam and Qawmi madrasa boards met with the home minister several times and urged him to allow activities at the madrasas.

Due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, the government in March last year suspended in-person academic activities in all educational institutions across the country. 

Later, the madrasas resumed operations – taking classes, holding exams with residential facilities – last August, following a petition submitted to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The government later shut them down again on April 6 this year after a spike in Covid cases.