All schools, colleges and universities of the country have been closed since March 18 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, increasing the impetus for online education systems. According to data provided by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), there were 93.7 million mobile internet users, 5.7 million broadband internet users and a small number of WiMAX users in the country. However, access to the internet was not the only factor preventing students from enjoying the benefits of online education. Meanwhile, Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam told Dhaka Tribune that developing a mechanism to implement the online education policy was the major challenge. In such circumstances, the Education Ministry and the UGC’s move to support the universities’ transition to online learning was a critical and timely move.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 31, 2020 17:26 UTC