Dhaka: The government has announced the closure of all public and private universities across the country starting tomorrow, in a move aimed at maintaining austerity in power and energy consumption amid the ongoing global crisis.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the holiday will align with the scheduled academic calendar for Eid-ul Fitr. The announcement was made in an order signed by Sultan Ahmed, assistant secretary of the ministry, and issued by the secondary and higher secondary division of the Education Ministry. The order includes several instructions focused on power saving.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been tasked with implementing the order promptly. The closure will coincide with the holy month of Ramadan and Eid-ul Fitr, as per the universities’ academic calendars.
Additionally, the ministry has outlined an 11-point directive to encourage responsible energy use at universities. The directives include minimizing electricity use during daylight, reducing electricity consumption by 50%, and ensuring unnecessary lights, fans, and air conditioners are switched off during office hours. Air conditioning should be set at 25 degrees Celsius or higher, and all electrical appliances must be turned off when leaving office rooms. Furthermore, unnecessary lights in corridors, staircases, and washrooms should remain off.
The directive also advises increasing the use of power-saving equipment, ensuring all office devices like computers, printers, and scanners are switched off after working hours, and avoiding any decorative lighting. It emphasizes limiting the use of official vehicles and practising extreme savings in energy usage.
This decision has been made in light of the current global situation.