BSS-47 Dipu Moni urges telecom operators to provide free internet packages for students

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ZCZC

BSS-47

MINISTER-CLASS-INTERNET

Dipu Moni urges telecom operators to provide free internet packages for students

DHAKA, July 6, 2020 (BSS) – Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni today urged the mobile phone operators to announce free internet packages for students so that they can join online education programmes easily.

“Educational institutions have been closed for a long time due to the global epidemic. We have given emphasis on online programmes to continue the education activities,” she told a virtual seminar here.

Awami League’s subcommittee on education and human resources arranged the online seminar titled, “What we should do about education in the current global crisis”.

Speaking as the chief guest, Dipu Moni said a number of educational institutions of the country are conducting online education programmes, but many students are not able to bear the internet cost for participating in these online learning activities.

That is why, she said, discussion continues with mobile phone operators on how free or low-cost internet packages could be ensured for students.

The education minister hoped that the mobile phone operators will show positive response to this end.

About the payment of tuition fees during the closure of educational institutions, she said many educational institutions are putting pressure on students to pay their tuition fees although their educational institutions have been closed for a long time.

Dipu Moni urged all the educational institutions and parents to come forward to this end, saying if they do not pay the tuition fees, the institutions will not be able to pay the salaries of their teachers.

“So, both sides have to be humane with some concessions,” she added.

Addressing the seminar, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said the internet use in education should be considered as an investment of the state, not an expenditure, to spread the light of education and build an enlightened nation.

The future education sector will not be classroom-oriented but a digitalised one, he added.

Bangla Academy President Prof Shamsuzzaman Khan, Vice-Chancellor of the National University Prof Harun-or-Rashid, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Prof Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof Dr ASM Maksud Kamal and Daily Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutta, among others, joined the online seminar with Chairman of the AL subcommittee Prof Abdul Khaleq in the chair.

Secretary of the AL subcommittee Shamsunnahar Chapa moderated the online seminar.

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