The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The government asked all government and non-government educational institutions to complete examinations by December 4 for facilitating the holding of national elections, set for December 18.

"Academic activities and examinations in all government and non-government schools, colleges and madrashah in the country, including junior scholarship examinations, for the year 2008 must be completed by December 4," said an official announcement on Sunday.

"The decision was taken for setting up polling centres for national and local-body elections, training for people engaged in elections and for holding the elections properly," the government directive further said.

It said the decision was taken in a meeting between Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman and heads of different schools, colleges and madrashas in the city on Sunday.

Education Secretary M Momtajul Islam, Additional Secretary (Administration and Finance) M Mozammel Huq Khan, joint secretaries, the DG of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Directorate and chairmen of Dhaka Education Board and Madrashah Education Board were also present at the meeting held at the Education Ministry.

The meeting also said that classes in all educational institutes in Dhaka metropolitan city should be started from 7am to 8:30am.

Besides, the meeting laid emphasis on dividing the educational institutions in Dhaka under different zones for easing the traffic congestion.

For this purpose, it suggested turning certain roads into one-way route for a certain period in consistency with starting and breaking hours of schools.

The meeting called upon all concerned to encourage the students to use institutional and public buses for transportation.