This study was designed to explore the challenges of participating in online education/distance learning (OE/DL) of students and teachers of secondary, higher secondary, and tertiary educational institutions in Bangladesh. Administering both web-based e-questionnaire and self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from 2,473 students and teachers. Findings from analysis of variance and t-test indicated disagreements among students and teachers regarding the challenges of OE/DL, with some exceptions, such as learning difficulties, willingness of government, and frequent load shedding. The outcome of exploratory factor analysis suggested a two-factor solution—‘pedagogical-technical challenges' and ‘financial challenges'—explaining around 50% variance regarding OE/DL. The overall results indicated that for an inclusive and quality OE/DL in Bangladesh, the improvement in technical infrastructure and pedagogical contents and resolving financial struggle are highly recommended to make OE/DL more effective and minimize the impact of a pandemic on the education sector.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed a serious risk with pre-existing health conditions. This study was conducted to understand the knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning COVID-19 among patients with chronic illnesses in Bangladesh during the pandemic. The study was conducted in Khulna city of Bangladesh following a qualitative research design. We employed telephone interviews to collect data from 40 participants with four common pre-existing chronic illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, respiratory/asthma, and heart disease). Findings show that the majority of the participants had a moderate level of knowledge and an overall positive attitude regarding COVID-19 but appropriate safety practices were often ignored as the pandemic grows older. We also observed that the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding COVID-19 varied based on age, marital status, education, social class, and rural/urban residence. We concluded that improving medical advice/support, promotion of awareness through mass media, strict monitoring of protective measures and subsidies from the government, and self-consciousness could be effective strategies to mitigate the transmission of the disease and reduce risks for patients with chronic illness in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the spread of COVID-19, online education/distance learning (OE/DL) was opted by the governments across the world. However, many challenges remained unexplored as OE/DL was quite an unfamiliar teaching approach, particularly in Bangladesh. This study was aimed at identifying the major challenges of OE/DL in Bangladesh from the perspectives of students. Data for this web-based cross-sectional study were collected using an e-questionnaire based on Google Form. Out of 451 initial responses, 419 were retained based on some specifications. The univariate analyses identified the financial, technical, and pedagogical issues as major problems. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis suggest a two-factor solution – ‘financial-technical obstacles’ and ‘pedagogical obstacles’ – with overall good reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.881; McDonald’s ω = 0.880). The two-factors, with strong intercorrelation (r = 0.552), meet the criteria of discriminant validity. To overcome the shortfalls of OE/DL in Bangladesh, inclusiveness with sustainable educational and infrastructural approaches was recommended.