education
Munia rape and murder case: Bashundhara MD seeks anticipatory bail
Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir submitted a petition to the High Court on Thursday seeking anticipatory bail in a case over the rape and murder of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia in April this year.
HC bench of Justice Msotafa Zaman Islam and KM Zahid Sarwar will hear the bail petition on September 29.
On April 26, police recovered the hanging body of Munia from her flat in Gulshan. Munia's elder sister Nusrat Jahan Tania filed a case against Anvir that night accusing him of incitement to suicide.
According to Tania, her sister Munia was in a relationship with Anvir who regularly visited her at the Gulshan apartment.
Also read: Munia's death: Bashundhara MD among 8 sued over ‘rape, murder’
On July 19, the investigating officer of the case, Gulshan Police Station officer-in-charge Abul Hasan, submitted a final report to the court giving a clean chit to Anvir.
On September 6, Munia's sister Nusrat Jahan Tania filed a rape and murder case against Bashundhara Group MD and seven others with Dhaka's 8th Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children's Repression.
The court after recording the complaint, directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to submit a report on it.
Also read: Munia's death: Court accepts IO's final report clearing Bashundhara Group MD
The seven other accused in the case are: Bashundhara Group's Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam, Shah Alam's wife Afroza Begum; Anvir's wife Sabrina Sayem; Faria Mahbub Piyasha; Saifa Rahman Mim; landlord of the flat where the victim was staying, Ibrahim Ahmed Ripon and his wife Sharmim Akhter.
BU waives students' hall, transportation fees incurred during Covid closure
Barishal University has waived the hall and transportation fees of its students for the period of the Covid-19 closure.
The decision on the fee waiver was taken at a meeting of the university’s finance committee chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Sadequl Arefin .
University Proctor Dr Khorshed Alam said on Tuesday the decision was taken following written requests made by the students.
Read: Barishal University: 82, inc. 40 teachers, earn promotions
According to the decision, the authorities will coordinate with or repay the students who have already paid the fees soon, said the Proctor
Obaidur Rahman, a student of BU, said on August 31 they sent a written application to the VC through Proctor Khorshed Alam to waive the fees.
2 dead, dozens shot in Cox’s Bazar gun violence centring election
Two people were shot dead while at least 31 suffered bullet wounds in election-related gunfights in Cox's Bazar Monday morning.
The deceased were identified as Abul Kalam (40) and Abdul Hakim.
An initial incident took place at Noapara Madrasa Center in Qutubjom Union of Maheshkhali Island.
Read:Woman killed in Bagerhat UP polls violence
According to witnesses, supporters of Awami League candidate Sheikh Kamal and rebel candidate of the same party Mosharraf Hossain Khokon locked horns as they tried to seize control of the center around 9 am.
Things turned fatal when what started as a brawl turned into a straight up gunfight between rival goons.
Abul Kalam died and six others were wounded during this time.
Confirming the matter, Maheshkhali Police Station OC Abdul Hai said, "I have received news of one death in the clash between the two sides. The injured have been rushed to hospital.”
The second incident took place at Baragop union of Kutubdia upazila.
Confirming the matter, the Officer-in charge of Kutubdia Police Station Omar Haider said that a man named Abdul Halim was shot dead and as many as 25 were wounded in a clash between supporters of two candidates.
Details on the incident would be informed soon, he said.
Balloting at 160 union parishads spread across six districts began at 8am Monday and will continue till 4pm without any break.
In Cox’s Bazar, voting started in the 1st phase of elections in Chakaria and Maheshkhali municipalities of Cox's Bazar and 14 union parishads of four upazilas.
Earlier, our Cox's Bazar correspondent reported that balloting was moving at a snail’s pace, after visiting the Saborong High School polling center in Teknaf.
Read: UP elections: Voting underway in 160 union parishads, 9 municipalities
Till 11am, 3 hours into voting, just 150 out of nearly 3,000 voters registered to vote at the centre had cast their vote. Both men and women were seen standing in long queues waiting impatiently to exercise their right to franchise, and there was tension.
If the status quo continued, the voting scenario at the district might turn chaotic real soon, pur correspondent had warned
According to the Cox's Bazar District Election Office, the number of voters in Maheshkhali municipality of the district is 19,484 and in Chakaria municipality 48,724. There are 59 booths in 10 polling stations in Maheshkhali and 139 booths in 16 polling stations in Chakaria municipality.
The total number of voters in 14 unions of Pekua, Kutubdia, Maheshkhali and Teknaf upazilas of the district is 311,234 people.
The large number of injured means the death toll may rise, even without any further outbreaks of violence.
DU dormitories to reopen on Oct 5
Dhaka University authorities have decided to reopen its residential halls on October 5 next for the master’s and honours final-year students who have taken at least one dose of anti-Covid vaccine.
The decision was taken at a Syndicate meeting held with VC Prof Aktheruzzaman in the chair on Saturday.
The university central library, science library and the seminar rooms of all departments will be reopened for students from September 26 and those will remain open from 10 am to 5pm, said DU Pro-VC (Education) ASM Maksud Kamal.
He added that student IDs and the proof of having at least one vaccine dose will be strictly monitored by the university authorities.
Aiming to raise health awareness, banners and festoons will be hung at the visible places of every residential hall and academic building with guidelines for following the hygiene rules.
Upon getting vaccinated, the dormitories will be reopened for the honors 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students in phases, the Pro-VC said.
READ: Students protest cutting down of old Krishnachura tree at DU, plant new one
According to the syndicate decision, residential halls cannot be crowded as before and no so-called 'Gono rooms' will be allowed there to continue. “Only regular resident students will be accommodated in the dormitories in accordance with the health protocols,” Maksud Kamal said.
READ: DU likely to reopen halls on limited scale from October 5
The date for resuming in-person classes will be fixed after all the students of the university come under the vaccination programme.
Schools cannot charge fees for assignments: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Friday said that the education institutions under no circumstances can charge money for the assignments in the assessment of learning results of students.
"Educational institutions should not take any kind of fee in the name of the assignment to evaluate the results of the students," she said firmly while responding to reporters' questions at the Chandpur Circuit House at 3pm on Friday.
READ: University students must complete vaccine registration by Sept 27: Dipu Moni
Schools have been closed for a long time. If students have dues, it can be realized in installments or some other arrangements. The dues should not be mixed up with assignments," she said.
The minister further said that everyone should continue to try to abide by the hygiene rules.
READ: New curricula in schools, colleges from 2023: Dipu Moni
“We are coordinating with everyone so that health guidelines are followed properly in school. These rules are not only for Covid and dengue safety, If students get used to maintaining hygiene practices, it will help them have a healthier future,” she said.
Student bodies observe Education Day at DU
The historic Education Day of Dhaka University was observed Friday with a call to introduce a scientific, single-stream, pro-people and uniform education system for all in the country.
Different student organisations made the call from separate rallies and discussion programmes marking the day.
The day was observed to commemorate the sacrifice of three students Mostafa, Babul and Wajiullah who were killed in police firing while staging a demonstration against the SM Sharif Education Commission formed in 1962.
Since then students and teachers have been observing September 17 as the Education Day demanding a scientific, single-stream, pro-people and secular education system in the country.
The day’s programmes started with placing of floral wreaths at the Shikkha Odhikar Chattar monument near the Supreme Court compound by different student organisations.
Bangladesh Chhatra League, Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parisad, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Socialist Students’ Front and among other organisations placed wreaths at the Shikkha Odhikar Chattar monument.
However, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), refrained from the occasion.
Left leaning student organization, ‘Socialist Student Front’, ‘Bangladesh Student Union’ and ‘Eight Progressive Students Organizations’ separately staged rallies at the same time following the Education Day 2021.
Bangladesh Student Union staged their rally at the Shoparjito Shadhinota Sculpture while Dhaka University Mass Communication and Journalism Professor Kaberi Gayen and Economics Professor M.M. Akash and among others were present.
Kaberi Gayen said, ‘We have betrayed with the blood of the martyrs of the ‘62 education movement. After independence, all the governments promised about formulating a pro-people, non-communal education policy but they didn’t meet their commitment.’
‘Education has been subtly commercialized; I believe that the student union will play a role in formulating a public friendly education policy,’ she added.
M.M. Akash said, ‘The streets need to be blooded with the blood of student and labour simultaneously if we have to bring out a mass-friendly education policy like education movement of 1962.’
Besides, Socialist Student Front staged their discussion programme at the foot of anti terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture with the presence of Jahangirnagar University Economics department professor Anu Muhammad.
Professor Anu Muhammad said, ‘during Covid time, the crisis in country's education sector becomes many times higher than any other time. But the role of the state was indifferent throughout this time. As a result, Bangladesh secured top position in terms of closing down educational institutions.’
‘The ruling group wants to stop the protest against it by showing various rules and regulations.But when the rules are anti-people,supportive for looters it becomes the duty of educated people to break those rules and thus,the ruling class does not want everyone to be educated. This is why the ruling class has turned public universities into flattering institutions to keep their suppression alive,’ he added.
However, Leaders and activists of Islami Shasantantra Chhatra Andolan also held a rally on the campus marking the day.
Progressive Students Alliance, a platform of left Eight Progressive students organization, in a rally in front of the Central Shaheed Minar for a single-stream, scientific, pro-people and secular education system and steps to stop commercialisation of education and observe the day at state level.
They also demanded cancellation of educational fees and mess rent, also government grants during the COVID-19 epidemic for students to buy devices to ensure participation in online classes and states grants for non-government teachers to tackle the epidemic.
IU asks students to register for vaccine by Sep 27
The authorities of Islamic University in Kushtia has asked its students to complete their registration for getting the Covid-19 vaccine by September 27.
A press release, signed by IU information, publication and public relations office deputy registrar M Shahed Hasan, was issued in this regard on Friday.
All teachers, students, officials and employees of the Islamic University have been asked to complete the registration for vaccination by September 27.
The students who do not have national identity (NID) card will be able to register using birth registration certificate on the web link provided by the Bangladesh University Grants Commission.
Teachers, students, officers and employees who have NID cards with them and they have not yet registered for vaccination are also being asked to register on the security app on an emergency basis within the same period to ensure vaccination.
On September 14, the university authorities decided to reopen the university after September 27 ensuring hundred percent Covid-19 vaccination of all students of the university.
Students protest cutting down of old Krishnachura tree at DU, plant new one
Dhaka University students on Thursday staged protests as its authorities cut down an old Krishnachura and two other trees on the campus.
Some students brought out a procession carrying the pieces of the chopped down trees to exhibit their anger.
A group of Dhaka University students planted some new Krishnachura plants at the eastern corner of the Arts Building protesting the cutting down of the 60-year-old tree.
Read: DU rally demands probe into student's “mysterious” death
The university authorities claimed that the Krishnachura tree was chopped down on Wednesday morning as it had become riskier for pedestrians with its roots coming out open.
Two eucalyptus trees were also cut down at the same location.
The chopping down of the Krishnachura tree has drawn widespread criticisms on social media, particularly from former and current students of the university.
Monirul Islam, a former student of the university, on his Facebook post said, “I don’t feel like going to my university campus these days. The gutless people in the university’s administration can’t maintain the campus properly; rather they cut down trees for their business. This is so disheartening.”
Maintenance of all the trees on the university campus, including the plant-beautification of the Curzon Hall and road medians of the campus, are routinely carried out by the Arboriculture Centre of the university.
Prof Mihir Lal Saha, director of the centre, said, “These trees were basically at risk. They were on the road. The trees might have collapsed anytime. So there was no alternative to removing them. We’ll plant fast-growing trees at this place.”
Read: More than 100 DU students break into Sahidullah Hall
Asked about the chopping down of the old Krishnachura tree, he said, “The Krishnachura tree was supposed to be straight. But the tree has been tilted and its roots also got damaged. So, it could have been uprooted any time causing an accident. So it had to be removed.”
DU likely to reopen halls on limited scale from October 5
Dhaka University authorities are likely to reopen halls from October 5 for the master's and honours final year students who have received at least one dose of vaccine against Covid.
The recommendation came from the provost committee meeting held at the university's Vice-Chancellor (VC) bungalow this evening, said Prof Saiful Islam, provost of Sir AF Rahman Hall.
The meeting was chaired by DU VC Prof Aktheruzzaman.
The decision will be finalized after Thursday’s deans’ committee’s meeting.
Central library, department' seminar rooms will also be reopened for the vaccinated ones from September 26.
"First students of master's and honours final year would be allowed to stay in halls. Once their examinations are over, students of previous sessions will be allowed to enter halls gradually," said Prof Saiful Islam said.
Asked about vaccination information, the professor said, "About 4000 students of 9000 honours final year and master’s students have taken their Covid-19 shots,"
DU proctor AKM Golam Rabbani said,"Unvaccinated students will not be allowed to enter the dormitories."
New curricula in schools, colleges from 2023: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Monday said the government has decided to introduce new curricula in schools and colleges from 2023, removing the divisions of science, arts and commerce up to class X.
“Piloting of the new curricula in class one at primary level and class VI in secondary education level will begin next year,” she said.
The Education Minister revealed this information at a press briefing on the National Curricula Framework presentation at the Secretariat.
According to the new curricula, there will be no science, arts and commerce sections up to class X, and they will be trained on technical subjects.
Read:World-class higher education necessary to build progressive future generation: Dipu Moni
“The new curricula couldn’t be introduced in 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic. Now we’ll introduce it in 2023 and the new curricula will be introduced in all classes by 2025,” she said.
The government has selected 10 common subjects for all students up to SSC level and students will be allowed to choose optional subjects in class XI and class XII,” the minister said.
“There’ll be a piloting of new curricula in 100 educational institutions of primary and secondary schools. The new curricula will be introduced for class one and class two while for class VI and class VII in secondary level in 2023. It’ll will be introduced for the students of class III, IV, VIII, IX in 2024 while for class V and class X in 2025,” said Dipu.
Read: No room to defy Covid norms at schools, colleges: Dipu Moni
Besides, three public examinations will be held under the new system. The class X students will sit for Secondary School Certificate(SSC) examinations, while the students will sit for two more public exams in class XI and class XII and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations results will be published based on the results of class XI and class XII.
But, there will be no examination up to class III, the minister said.
“The national curricula have been introduced from pre-primary level to class XII. Earlier, the primary and secondary level education was complexly separate. The aim of introducing the new curricula is to make a smooth journey for students from one level to another level and help them to cope up with the new level easily. We’re just trying to see the students not facing any problem at the new level,” she added.
Steps have been taken so that students can learn most of their lessons in their classrooms, said the Minister.