When will classes resume at institutions closed amid student violence?

A recent wave of student violence has led to the closure of several educational institutions in Dhaka – so far eight higher secondary institutions and one English medium school have been shut down. 

The affected institutions have not provided a clear timeline for resuming academic activities, and teachers say reopening remains uncertain as long as the violence persists.

Among the institutions closed are Dhaka College, Dhaka City College, Government Shahid Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Dania College, Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College, Government Titumir College and Ideal College Dhanmondi. Additionally, St Gregory's High School and College was indefinitely closed on Tuesday, with lotteries for first-grade admissions also postponed.

The closures began following clashes between students of Dhaka City College and Dhaka College on November 20 and 21. This was not the first time Dhaka City College had to shut down; it had closed twice earlier to avoid student protests.

On Sunday, students from Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College protested against alleged medical negligence at Dhaka National Medical College that had led to the death of student Abhijit Hawladar, demanding a thorough investigation and exemplary punishment for those involved. 

The protests escalated as students from over 30 colleges joined forces, blockading the gates of DNMC and engaging in vandalism. 

The following day, retaliatory attacks occurred at Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College, with students from Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul colleges reportedly seeking "revenge." 

Over 30 students were injured in the clashes. 

These incidents prompted the closure of Government Shahid Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Dania College and Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College.

Previously, in a separate incident, students of Government Titumir College demanded the institution's upgrade to a university blocking roads and railway tracks on November 18 and 19. 

Violence during the protests left women and children injured, leading to the college's closure.

Most recently, St Gregory’s was closed indefinitely on Tuesday. 

Despite police and military intervention to quell the unrest, authorities remain uncertain about when these institutions will reopen.

However, institution heads have said these will reopen based on the situation, and academic activities will resume accordingly.

Prof Muhammad Habibur Rahman, principal of Kabi Nazrul Government College, attributed the unrest to "external instigation" and expressed hope for a resolution soon. 

"The government will decide when to reopen the institution based on the situation," he said.

Meanwhile, Rasheda K Choudhury, a former adviser in a caretaker government and executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education, emphasized the urgency of resuming academic activities saying students must be brought back to learning at all costs. 

She called on the government to take strict measures to prevent further violence and vandalism, adding that if the situation persisted, the education system risked derailment.