In rural areas, where children are most vulnerable to dropping out, one absent teacher can mean the collapse of an entire classroom.

One significant factor is the relatively lower parental expectation for boys’ academic achievement, coupled with the higher economic expectation placed on them to contribute to family income.

Somapura Mahavihara — “the Great Monastery situated in the locality of the moon” — is one of the oldest monuments in the country, and a UNESCO heritage site. Located to the northwest of Bangladesh in the district of Naogaon, the ruins of the Buddhist vihara at Paharpur serves as a cue to what was once a flourishing Buddhist culture.

Media experts, journalists and human rights activists have called upon the government not to put restrictions on newsmen and social media users in the name of laws for ensuring freedom of expression in Bangladesh.