The government has issued an urgent nationwide directive instructing all educational institutions to identify buildings that may pose structural risks following recent earthquakes.
The ‘extremely urgent’ advisory, circulated by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), calls for immediate structural assessments across schools, colleges and madrasas.
The notice, signed Monday by Deputy Secretary Muhammad Obaidur Rahman, directs heads of institutions to personally inspect their campuses and mark any structures considered unsafe.
Until repairs are completed, institutions have been asked to shift classes to temporary facilities or continue lessons online to ensure student safety.
The directive also outlines essential safety measures for students during earthquakes, advising them to remain calm, avoid elevators, shut off electricity and gas lines, and stay clear of walls or large trees that could topple.
Govt requests detailed reports on earthquake damage
Alongside the safety directive, the government has sought comprehensive data on educational institutions damaged in the recent earthquake.
Both the Education Engineering Department (EED) and the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) have issued letters requesting damage reports, complete with photographs, to be submitted via designated email addresses.
High schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions have been asked to send their assessments to [email protected], while government primary schools must report to [email protected].
EED Chief Engineer Md Tarek Anwar Zahedi said the letters were dispatched immediately after the quakes to gather information from institutions under the Secondary and Higher Education Division and the Technical and Madrasa Education Division.
“We are still receiving data,” he noted. “Once all reports are compiled, we will forward the list to the Ministry of Education for renovation measures.”
A separate DPE notice, signed by Mirajul Islam Ukil, director of the Planning and Development Wing, sets 27 November as the deadline for submission of detailed damage assessments.
Four earthquakes struck the country on 21 and 22 November, causing structural damage to many educational institutions.
Several campuses, including Dhaka University, have since announced temporary closures to facilitate urgent repairs.
