2 Dhaka 'Peace' colleges shut down

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka has suspended the academic activities of two colleges bearing the name “Peace” in Dhaka. The board authorities issued two separate orders on Thursday cancelling the academic activities of Dhaka Peace College in Natunbazar, Gulshan and Peaceful College in South Banasree, Khilgaon. The action was taken following written directives from the Ministry of Education, board officials told the Dhaka Tribune. The government decided to shut down all unapproved Peace schools operating across the country, apparently in the face of controversy regarding their burdensome curriculum and radical views. Intelligence sources say these schools preach radical views and engage students in different activities of Peace TV, run by controversial India-based televangelist Zakir Naik. The government has been monitoring the activities of these schools since December last year after allegations were raised about teaching unauthorised subjects and books in these schools. The government is also concerned about the schools’ involvement with Jamaat-e-Islami as the intelligence sources confirm that a part of their income goes to the party fund. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been asked to close the schools immediately as the institutions allegedly motivate students to become militants, said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid. The government investigated all Peace schools when Peace TV was banned in Bangladesh on July 10 this year.