Education
Schools, colleges to remain closed till Apr 27 due to heat wave
Schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institution across the country will remain closed until April 27 (Saturday) due to the ongoing heat wave condition.
Heat wave: Assembly at all govt primary schools suspended
A notice signed by M A Khair, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, has officially confirmed this on Saturday.
No respite from heat wave for five days: BMD
The notice came before the reopening of educational institutions in the country set for tomorrow (April 21st), after the end of Eid holidays.
Severe heat wave sweeps over Chuadanga, Bagerhat
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the heat wave condition will remain unchanged for the five days commencing 9 am on Saturday.
RUET team clinches 3rd place in Huawei ICT Competition APAC Round in Indonesia
A student team from the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) has clinched the third position in the Huawei ICT Competition 2023-2024 APAC Round, involving more than 6400 students from 14 countries.
The announcement came at the APAC Award ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday.
More than a thousand undergraduate students from 25 universities in Bangladesh enrolled in this competition that was launched last year.
Afterword’s two teams from RUET joined and took part in the network track and computing track, respectively. Besides, two CUET team compete in the cloud track and computing track in the APAC round. And finally, the network track team from RUET has secured their position in the top three.
The winning team includes Shuvam Agarwala, Rakesh Kar, and Md Mazharul Islam from the RUET Computer Science and Engineering Department. The team has attended the APAC Award ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia. They will head to the global round in Shenzhen, China, next month.
Shuvam Agarwala, a member of the winning team from RUET said, “This competition has provided us many opportunities to learn new things about the ICT and network sectors. It has also brought us to this international platform. And standing with the Bangladeshi flag in front of all was a great experience. We are really thankful to Huawei for creating such an amazing opportunity for us. We are looking forward to achieving more in the global round.”
Li Zongsheng (Jason), Board Member, Huawei South Asia said, “Huawei believes youth is the main driver for the development of any country. Bangladeshi youth, who are large in number, have great potential. And with that belief, Huawei has been organising various initiatives to enhance the ICT knowledge of Bangladeshi students.”
Md Azmain Yakin Srizon, Assistant Professor, Department of CSE, RUET, who is accompanied by the students, said, “I am very proud to see my students representing our country in this global platform and winning the third position in this competition. I have observed that taking part in this competition has increased their knowledge and boosted their confidence.”
More than 170 teams featuring more than 500 students from around 40 countries will participate in the global round, making this the largest offline global final since the first Huawei ICT Competition. This was the second time Bangladesh participated in the event, themed “Connection, Glory, and Future.”
Prof M Mofazzal Hossain joins Southeast University as Pro VC
Prof Dr M Mofazzal Hossain, SM IEEE, has recently been appointed Pro Vice Chancellor of Southeast University (SEU).
The Chancellor of the University, President Mohammed Shahabuddin, appointed him as Pro VC for the next four years.
Mofazzal has previously held significant roles, such as Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering at East West University.
Prior to these appointments, he served as head of the EEE Department at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology and undertook research roles at prestigious institutions like the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan and Kanazawa University, where he was a JASSO fellow.
Mofazzal brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role, as he has more than 30 years of teaching, research, and administrative experience at different universities at home and abroad.
His appointment is a significant milestone for Southeast University, and his leadership and academic credentials would undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of the institution, according to a SEU press release.
UGC probe body finds evidence of corruption, irregularities against IU VC
The probe body formed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) has found evidence of corruption and irregularities against Islamic University Vice -Chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam.
The probe body submitted the report to the UGC and the Ministry of Education recently, Professor M Abu Taher, head of the investigation committee and a member of the commission, said on Wednesday.
Abu Taher said that some allegations brought against the Islamic University VC were found true.
GD filed as job seeker offers bribe to IU VC
They also found evidence against him, he said
Based on the probe report, the ministry of education will take further steps against the vice-chancellor, he added.
A UGC member said if stern action had been taken after the probe, such VCs would not have got the scope of doing such irregularities again.
"Some of them have become reckless in the absence of punishment," said the UGC member.
On November 1, 2023, the UGC formed a three-member probe body headed by its member Professor M Abu Taher to look into the corruption and irregularities allegations brought against the VC.
The probe body, however, went to the university and started its investigation on January 22 this year.
ACC begins probe into irregularities in IU mega project
Earlier, a total of 14 audio clips containing conversations between IU VC and different people went viral on social media from February 16 to June 13 last year.
On February 17, IU acting registrar HM Ali Hasan filed a general diary with Islamic University police station after an audio clip containing conversation between the VC and a jobseeker from IU mass communication and journalism department, had gone viral.
Recruitment ‘anomaly’ at IU: Conversation between pro-VC, official goes viral
The Islamic University Teachers’ Association and Awami League-backed teachers’ alliance ‘Shapla Forum’ submitted a written petition to the VC, requesting him to explain his audio conversations, leaked on February 18.
Later, the forum also sought the prime minister’s intervention regarding the issue.
BUET gets new director of students' welfare
Bangladesh University of Engineering and technology has appointed a new director of students’ welfare.
Professor Mohammad Al Amin Siddik of the civil engineering department has been made the new DSW.
An office order notice signed by BUET register prof. MD. Forkan Uddin confirmed the matter of the new DSW.
Mentioned, during the recent row by common Buet students against students' politics in the campus, protesters constantly sought resignation of the then director of BUET DSW Prof. Mizanur Rahman of EEE department who has served in this position since July of 2019.
JCI Barishal announces Project Hope 1.0
JCI Barishal announces the launch of Project Hope 1.0, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at tackling the intertwined challenges of education and poverty within the local community.
The inauguration ceremony took place today at a renowned restaurant in Barishal city, marking the beginning of a transformative journey towards uplifting the underprivileged.
Project Hope 1.0, spearheaded by JCI Barishal, is a holistic initiative meticulously crafted to extend support to deserving young students and marginalized families. Through a blend of financial aid and sustainable assistance, the project endeavors those in need.
The Inaugural ceremony witnessed the presence of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Barishal, Mondip Gharai, who joined the occasion as the chief guest. In his address, he expressed his profound appreciation for the noble initiative undertaken by JCI Barishal, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in addressing societal challenges.
"Project Hope 1.0 exemplifies the power of community-driven initiatives in fostering positive change and uplifting the most vulnerable segments of society. I commend JCI Barishal for their unwavering commitment to social welfare and urge everyone to extend their support to this noble cause," he said at the event.
President of Bangladesh Hotel Restaurant Owners Association of Barishal District and the special guest of the event Bishu Ghosh echoed sentiments of encouragement and solidarity towards the project's noble objectives.
Furthermore, Monirul Alam Swapan, President of the Barishal Journalists Union, and social worker Delwoar Hossain joined the occasion as Guests of Honor, underscoring the collaborative spirit driving Project Hope 1.0. The event was presided over by the Local President of JCI Barishal Jamil Khan.
Under the ambit of Project Hope 1.0, seven meritorious yet economically disadvantaged students hailing from various educational institutions in Barishal will receive stipends until December 2024.
Additionally, five underprivileged families will benefit from sustainable income sources aimed at improving their financial well-being and fostering long-term stability.
In email to BUET students Hizbut Tahrir calls for crusade against westerners
The outlawed extremist outfit, Hizbut Tahrir, in an email, has,yet again asked students from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to join the movement for what they called “crusade against the westerners” and establish “Khilafat-e-Islami” rule on the country, triggering a sense of panic among students. In a three page statement, Hizbut asked students to team up with their mission, forsake all western values, consider all westerners as enemies of Islam and work for implementation of Khelafat rule. Taking a jibe at Bangladesh Student League, the student wing of Awami League, the statement further urged students to prevent BSL from campuses as Hizbut described BSL as the biggest barrier to establish Khilafat on educational institutions.Titled as “Thwart BSL from BUET”, the statement accused BSL and AL of promoting western cultures on the campuses, containing “threats of dire consequences for those involve in BSL and aligned with the government”. The email came to BUET students, according to some of the recipients, within hours after a group of students appealed for their safety concerns holding a press conference on the campus on Thursday.These students recently exposed before media that Hizbut and several other outfits have been pursuing a clandestine mission on the campus to gain fresh recruits.They placed an appeal before the prime minister for the safety of their lives as a barrage of veiled life threats against them kept flooding social media particularly from handles and accounts known as mouthpiece affiliated with extremist and radical outfits.
BUET students seek protection after being threatened by radicals
A group of students from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has placed an appeal before the prime minister for the safety of their lives as a barrage of veiled life threats against them kept flooding social media particularly from handles and accounts known as mouthpiece affiliated with extremist and radical outfits.
Even Basherkella, that held record of spreading hate speech and communal attacks, associated with a dreaded outfit Jamaat-e-Islami, launched a targeted attack with photos names of the students circulated on different platforms including Telegram channels.
Linking the pattern similar to previous attacks on two BUET students who were vocal against these outfits in the past, they added “we have every reason to take these threats seriously”
The students made the demand at a press conference held at the Shaheed Minar on BUET campus on Friday as they earlier submitted a complaint with the vice chancellor compiling screenshot of threats and bullying against them.
Days back, they submitted a written complaint with the vice chancellor where they mentioned names of 21 students who faced similar threats against them.
Even for taking part in human chain against the fundamentalist forces triggered verbal attack on us in the past what is clearly a breach in freedom of expression, they added.
In two separate attacks in 2013, two BUET students who were leaders of Bangladesh Student League BUET unit were stabbed brutally with one killed and another survived reportedly in machete attacks by Shibir activists as both of them were involved in creating awareness against these fundamentalist group, they recalled.
Before attacks on Tonmoy Ahmed and Arif Raihan Dip, same pages Basherkella and Amar Desh ran a hate campaign branding them “enemies of Islam” followed by gruesome machete attacks, they told.
While Dip died of wounds after hacked inside the dormitory by a fellow student who ascribed to radical ideology, an assassination attempt on Tonmoy was made as he had been stabbed brutally reportedly by Shibir activists back in 2013.
Recalling theses attacks, they told “a certain pattern emerges through attacks on our senior fellows. Both were vocal against militancy and fundamentalism and targeted by these groups. Same Basherkella has targeted us as posts with our details already been circulated through different communication channels like telegram channel by these groups”.
Citing reports of a secretive meeting of 34 activists of Shibir including current students of BUET at a remote place, they added “it clearly shows that despite apparent ban on student politics, they attended for the students attended a meeting where charges of anti state activities were slapped upon them.”
“Even in some facebook groups, we have found posts vilifying us and some of our minority students were targeted. Posts in these groups show students are using this space to spread the message of militants, further indication of involvement of these activists”.
DU suspends appointment of teacher over sexual harassment allegation
Dhaka University’s Institute of Business Administration’s (IBA) board of governance has suspended an appointment of a teacher over an allegation of a student’s sexual harassment.
Prof Sitesh Chandra Bachar, pro vice chancellor (education) of the university, said, “The matter of appointment was raised at the Board of Governance. The appointment was suspended. The selection board was notified of the issue for review.”
Earlier, Saju Saha, an associate professor of marketing at Jahangirnagar University (JU), and three other candidates' names were selected for appointment.
Due to the allegation of sexual harassment, his appointment was suspended on Monday afternoon in a meeting at the vice chancellor's lounge.
JU student lodges sexual harassment complaint against teacher
On Monday (1 April), a female student from JU's marketing department filed a formal complaint against Saju for sexual harassment.
Earlier on March 23, the student, in a Facebook post, made the allegation of sexual harassment against teacher Saju Saha.
Following the Facebook post, the accused teacher repeatedly tried to convince the victim, saying that his political career would be ruined once the matter gets disclosed.
On March 24, Saju Saha also lodged a general diary at Mirpur Model Police Station, seeking legal action against the student for uploading the Facebook post "defaming" him on social media.
In open letter, Buet students appeal to PM for a politics-free campus
Students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) have appealed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, seeking her intervention to maintain their campus as a zone free of political activities.
This request was articulated through an open letter to the Prime Minister, the contents of which were shared during a press briefing held Tuesday afternoon in front of the Prof MA Rashid Administrative building on the BUET campus.
We envision a system where Buet students will choose their leaders: BCL President
During the briefing, students publicly read their letter, appealing directly to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit their campus. They expressed their aspiration to demonstrate the potential of a politics-free educational environment, confident in their ability to surpass global technological institutions if given a chance to focus solely on academic and research excellence.
Following legal reversal of ban, general students and BCL respond with differing visions for Buet’s future
"Our earnest appeal to you is to implement the policies adopted by the greatest Bengali of all times, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Please keep student politics out of Buet, even if it requires reforming the law. Because law is created for justice,” the letter asserts, echoing the students' collective desire for an educational environment focused on innovation, free of student politics.
Student politics could be returning to Buet, VC indicates