HC orders schools, madrasas closure till Thursday

The High Court (HC) has directed the authorities concerned to keep primary and secondary schools, and madrasas closed until Thursday due to the ongoing heatwave sweeping across the country.

The HC bench comprising Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat came up with the order in a suo moto (voluntary) rule on Monday.

Extreme heatwave is sweeping over the country while the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Sunday issued country-wide third phase heat wave alert message for the next 72hours.

Amid the situation, all educational institutions in the country were reopened on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Met Office forecast 43.0 degrees Celsius temperature in Chuadanga on Monday, the highest in the last 10 years.

The Chuadanga Weather Observatory Centre recorded 43 degrees Celsius temperature at 3 pm in Chuadanga with a prediction of further rise later in the evening.

Jaminur Rahman, the in-charge of the meteorological office, confirmed that this is the highest temperature recorded in the district in the past 10 years.

Very severe heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Jashore and Rajshahi and severe heat wave is sweeping over the rest part of Khulna division and the districts of Tangail, Faridpur, Gopalgonj, Naogaon, Pabna and Nilphamari.

Besides, mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping over Barishal division and the rest part of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and the districts of Mymensingh, Moulvibazar, Rangamati, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni and Bandarban and it may continue, said the BMD in its latest bulletin.