DHAKA
\nA Bangladeshi court ordered a nationwide shutdown of schools on Monday due to an ongoing heat wave, one day after the government sent millions of children back to class despite searing temperatures.
\nExtensive scientific research has found climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.
\nAverage temperatures in Dhaka over the past week have been 4-5 degrees Celsius higher than the 30-year average for the same period.
\nThe government said seven people had died as a result of the extreme heat since the start of this month, with maximum temperatures in the capital forecast to remain above 40 degrees until Thursday.
\nA two-judge bench of the High Court passed an order \u201cclosing all primary and secondary schools and madressahs… due to the heat wave,\u201d deputy attorney general Sheikh Saifuzzaman said.
\nHe said the court passed the order after it was told by lawyers that several teachers had died in the heat wave.
\nBangladesh follows the Sunday-Thursday work week. The order directs schools to remain closed for an estimated 32 million students until the coming Sunday.
\nThe government had imposed a week-long national school closure beginning on April 21 as the heat wave persisted, but lifted the order over the weekend.
\nClasses had resumed in Dhaka on Sunday with anxious relatives accompanying their children to the school gates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DHAKA A Bangladeshi court ordered a nationwide shutdown of schools on Monday due to an ongoing heat wave, one day after the government sent millions of children back to class despite searing temperatures. Extensive scientific research has found climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and more intense. Average temperatures in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":403832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-403816","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n