The National Committee for the Protection of Kindergarten and Equivalent Schools has demanded reopening of educational institutions on February 15.
The committee made the demand in a press conference at the National Press Club around 11am on Thursday.
Member Secretary of the committee GM Jahangir Kabir Rana announced that if the education institutions are not reopened on February 15, they will resume the kindergartens and equivalent schools in compliance with guidelines of hygiene on their own.
He also sought the cooperation of the prime minister in this regard.
In a written statement, GM Jahangir Kabari Rana said besides government educational institutions, about 40,000 kindergartens and equivalent schools are making significant contributions in the education system of the country.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the educational institutions have been closed for 11 months following the government's decision. In this situation, about one million teachers and staff are not getting paid and are deprived of other facilities.
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Moreover, as most of the educational institutions are on rented buildings, the situation is critical for the owners or operators of the institution as they have to bear the rent and other expenses.
Unable to cope with the financial pressure, many educational institutions have closed down, which is a shame for everyone, he added.
The member secretary also said that the closure of educational institutions for almost a year caused irreversible damage to the students and caused extreme mental deterioration. As Unicef said students will not be able to bear the burden.
Students and parents also want the educational institution to be opened soon, he added.
The leaders of the committee also demanded the withdrawal of the statement made by the state minister of Primary and Mass Education regarding kindergarten schools on January 26.
They urged the prime minister to allocate a financial aid of Tk10,000 crores for the 40,000 kindergartens and one million teacher and staff who are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.