After the closure of educational institutions across the country due to severe heat wave, teaching activities in the classrooms of all secondary level educational institutions are starting on Saturday (May 04).

However, schools, colleges and madrasas will remain closed in 25 districts including Dhaka today due to intense heat wave. On the other hand, primary school teaching activities will start from Sunday (05 May).

Sources in the Ministry of Education said that the educational institutions were closed until last Thursday on the order of the court. Class activities will start simultaneously in all secondary and higher secondary schools of the country from Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Farid Ahmed said that the primary schools which were closed till Thursday will be opened from Sunday as per the order of the court.

Schools and colleges were supposed to open on April 21 after the long holidays of Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh, but due to the heat wave across the country, it was delayed by a week. When schools and colleges opened last Sunday, some teachers and students fell ill due to extreme heat. Some deaths also occurred.

When the report in this regard was brought to the attention of the High Court, the bench of Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Khizir Hayat gave an order with a suo moto rule. In view of the heat wave, all primary and secondary schools, higher secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutes were ordered to remain closed till last Thursday.

Schools, colleges and madrasas are closed in 25 districts today

Secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and technical educational institutions will be closed today in 25 districts of the country to ensure the health protection of students during the severe heat wave. This information was informed in the notification signed by MA Khayer, Information and Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education on Friday (03 May).

Districts declared closed include all districts of Rajshahi and Khulna divisions (8 in Rajshahi and 10 in Khulna). Besides Dhaka and Tangail of Dhaka division, Chandpur of Chattogram division and Rangpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Dinajpur districts of Rangpur division. 

Bangladesh ranks 165th in the World Free Media Index with a score of 27.64. Bangladesh is ranked 165th out of 180 countries this year. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a France-based organization working on media freedom around the world, released the index on Friday (May 3).

Nepal has occupied the top position in terms of media freedom in South Asia; the country has occupied the 74th position with 60.52 points. Next is Maldives. The country is at the 106th position with 52.36 points. In this year's list, Bhutan fell from the first position and got the third place. The country is at the 147th position with 37.29 points.

Among South Asian countries, Bangladesh is ahead of only Afghanistan. Bangladesh is ranked behind India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan.

In South Asia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India are at the fourth, fifth and sixth positions respectively. The global position of these three countries is 150, 152 and 159 respectively.

India has got the 159th position two steps ahead of last year's 161st. Afghanistan ranks last among South Asian countries. 26 steps behind, the country's global position is 178th, only 19.09 points.

According to the report, the Asia-Pacific region ranks second in the world in terms of journalistic challenges. The report named Myanmar, China, North Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan as the most dangerous places to work for journalists.

Norway has retained its top position in the global index. Their points are 91.89. The rest of the top ten countries are Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland and Germany.

Through the World Free Media Index, the extent to which journalists in different countries and regions of the world carry out their duties independently is verified. Five factors are taken into account in this index. These are political context, legal infrastructure, economic context, socio-economic conditions and security.

The report also states that free media around the world are facing threats from political authorities, as confirmed by the significant decline in the political index. The global average of this index has fallen by 7.6 percent this year. 

Nearly nine hundred houses of the pourashava and various unions have been destroyed by the sudden gale in nor'wester in Bandarban's Lama. Those concerned said that there has been a loss of more than Tk. 5 crore.

On Friday (May 03) talking to the officials of the administration, this information is known.

Two days after the norwester, most of the victims are still living under open sky. Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin and Superintendent of Police Saikat Shaheen came to Lama today to see the victims. At that time, the Bandarban district administration distributed rice and clothes among the families affected by the norwester. These relief items were distributed in the Linejhiri area of Lama Pourashava at 5:30 pm on Friday.

Resident Engineer of Lama Electricity Department Sajjad Siddique said that in the early morning of May 01, the electricity department suffered extensive damage. 17 poles of 11 KV transmissions and 1 pole of 33 KV transmissions were broken, disrupting the normal operation of electricity transmission.

Electricity connection was restored to Lama Hospital and city areas by opening the main line on Friday. The most affected line was Chagalkhaiya, Lama Alikadam transmission line of 11 KV, about one and a half kilometers of power cable was broken and Alikadam connection could not be established. The officials and employees of the electricity department are working day and night simultaneously to restore the power lines. He said that electricity supply to Lama and Alikdam will be normal in two days.

Lama Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) Monirul Islam said that information has been received that more than 900 houses have been damaged in five unions including Lama Pourashava. In this incident, members of the Red Crescent along with the mayor of Lama Pourashava and the locals have cut and cleared the branches of fallen trees on the road. Allotted food grains and some rations have been distributed immediately from the district administration. He said that the amount of damage may be more than Tk. 5 crore.

Lama Mayor Md. Zahirul Islam (Absar) said that there was a huge damage in Lama upazila during the cyclone last Wednesday night. Urban areas suffered the most damage. Only in the municipal area, one hundred and twenty houses were completely destroyed and three hundred houses were partially damaged. The amount of damage in the municipal area will be two and a half to three crore takas. Immediate rice and financial allocations have been received from the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation to assist the victims.

Lama upazila nirbahi officer Kamrul Hossain Chowdhury said that in Lama municipality, seven unions suffered extensive damage in the cyclone last Wednesday night. Six hundred to seven hundred houses were completely and partially damaged.

Adequate amount of relief allocation has been received from Bandarban Deputy Commissioner. Relief is being distributed among the victims on Thursday and Friday along with the chairman of seven unions of the upazila and the mayor of the pourashava. He said it would take time to estimate the total financial loss. 

Reporters for Rail and Road (RRR) forum has elected President for the next two years - Prothom Alo Special Representative Md. Anwar Hossain and the General Secretary elected - Tauhidul Islam, Senior Reporter of Dainik Amader Somoy.

They were elected at the first annual general meeting of RRR held at a restaurant in the capital on Friday (03 May).

Other members of the Executive Committee are – Vice-President Partha Sarathi Das (Protidiner Sangbad), Joint Secretary Shipan Habib (Dainik Jugantar), Finance Secretary Shaheen Akhter (New Age), Organizational Secretary Tuhin Shubhra Adhikari (The Daily Star), Office, Publicity & Publication Secretary Taufiqul Islam (The Daily Sun), Training and Research Secretary Tarek Sikder (Boishakhi TV), Executive Member Munima Sultana (The Financial Express), Rajeev Ahmad (Dainik Samakal) and Ibrahim Mahmood Akash (Dainik Janakantha).

Apart from this, a cell of five members was formed for research and publication. The other members of the cell headed by Shamim Rahman (Bonik Barta) are Sajib Ghosh (Dainik Kaler Kantha), Al Amin Sajal (Independent TV), Taufiqul Islam (The Daily Sun) and Tarek Sikder (Boishakhi TV).

A committee of three members conducted the election.

Before the election, Finance Secretary Shaheen Akhtar and Outgoing Executive Committee General Secretary Tawhidul Islam presented their report, which was approved by voice vote. Almost all members of the organization were present in the event.

Established in March last year, Reporters for Rail and Road (RRR) forum is a Dhaka-based platform of professional and working journalists who report on road, railway, communication infrastructure and transport related sectors in reputed national dailies, television channels, radio stations and online.