DHAKA, April 20, 2024 (BSS) – The government today ordered closure of all schools, madrasahs and collages for next seven days as the weather office reported a “severe heat wave” to be sweeping over the country, fearing the mercury level could break the record.

The schools were scheduled to reopen on Sunday after the long vacation for the celebration of the Independence Day, Eid festival and the Bengali New Year since March 26.

“But the heat wave warning prompted us to issue a directive to keep them close until April 27,” a spokesman of the primary and mass education ministry said.

Shortly after the announcement, the education ministry as well came up with an identical order saying high schools and colleges too would be closed for the next seven days.

Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, meanwhile, issued a directive relieving the apex court and High Court judges and lawyers from wearing their traditional black gowns during their court presence.

The Supreme Court administration earlier issued an advisory saying the judges and lawyers in the lower courts, most of which lacked air conditioning facilities, could appear in courts just wearing white shirts and their typical white bands due to scorching summer heat.

A lawyer in a Dhaka court died of heat stroke recently soon after coming out of a courtroom.

Meteorologists, meanwhile, said until the afternoon the highest temperature was recorded at 42.6 degrees Celsius in western Jashore bordering West Bengal’s Kolkata and 40.4 degrees in Dhaka but feared the mercury level might rise further and cross the previous records later today or in next few days.

“We predict the heat wave may continue for the next several days. We request the concerned health facilities and agencies alongside the private ones and individuals to be cautious with required preparedness,” senior meteorologist at the met office Abul Kalam Mollik told BSS.

He said the western northwestern region were more exposed to higher temperature and foresaw the coming May to witness several heat waves.

The weather apps have suggested Bangladesh’s temperature could exceed the past records.

The met office recorded the highest 45.1 degrees Celsius in 1972 in Bangladesh while Dhaka witnessed the record high 42.3 degrees in 1960.

Health authorities have alerted people to avoid the sun and consume waters as the number of patients with different temperature related diseases increased and several deaths were reported.