The Zoology Department of Dhaka University handed over smartphones with data packs to its underprivileged students on Sunday to help them join virtual classes from home amid the coronavirus pandemic, said a press release.
In the first phase, fourteen students received the gadgets, facilitated by the alumni, through an event at the department.
Addressing the occasion as chief guest, DU Pro-VC (education) Dr ASM Maksud Kamal appreciated the initiative and thanked the teachers for conducting academic activities through virtual platforms as per decision taken by the university authority.
Dr M Niamul Naser, Chairman of Zoology Department, presided over the handover ceremony. He said teachers of the department have been taking classes virtually since July. But some students refrained from attending the classes as they didn’t have smartphones or other suitable devices to join the class.
“Noticing the issue, we took the initiative to ensure participation of all students in online classes and the alumni extended necessary assistance to implement it,” said Dr Naser.
Prof Dr Mihir Lal Saha, acting dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, and Prof Md Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan, General Secretary of Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA), among others, were present at the occasion.
Dhaka University as well as all the educational institutions across the country have been shut since late March to contain the mass spread of contagious Covid-19 disease.
Since then, no classes and examinations have taken place with students’ physical presence at the educational institutions of the country.
