United News of Bangladesh

All remaining Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations for 2026 under the Chattogram Education Board have been suspended until further notice in view of the overall post-flood situation in the affected areas and considering the physical and mental well-being of examinees. The decision was announced in a notice signed by Prof Syed Akhtaruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, on Thursday. According to the notice, the suspension was decided after reviewing the overall situation in flood-affected areas, the physical and mental condition of examinees, consultations with relevant stakeholders, and transportation difficulties caused by flood-damaged roads. The decision applies not only to the remaining HSC examinations under the Chattogram Education Board but also to all remaining Alim examinations under the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board, as well as HSC (BMT), HSC (Vocational) and Diploma in Commerce examinations under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board within the affected areas. The notice said the examinations will remain suspended until further instructions are issued. A revised examination schedule will be announced later through a separate notification. However, the notice clarified that examinations under all other education boards outside the Chattogram Education Board's jurisdiction, as well as those conducted by the Madrasah Education Board and the Technical Education Board in unaffected areas, will continue according to the previously announced schedule.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday urged private universities to utilise the money saved from the government’s decision to exempt them from paying tax for improving the quality of education, expanding research and enhancing their international standing. He also stressed that self regulation by universities is more important than excessive government control to ensure good governance and maintain academic standards. The finance minister made the remarks while addressing a discussion organised by the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) at The Westin Dhaka on the role of private universities in implementing the national budget for FY2026-27 through skilled human resources, research, innovation and economic development. Referring to the government’s decision to waive the existing five percent tax on private universities, Amir Khosru said education is a non profit sector where there is no scope for making profits. He said the decision had been taken despite inheriting a fragile economy, a huge domestic liability burden and the alleged laundering of around US$235 billion during the previous administration. “From next year, the five percent tax money will remain with your institutions. But that savings should be invested in improving educational standards, achieving international benchmarks and strengthening research to improve university rankings,” he said. The finance minister also announced the government’s plan to bring all sectors and marginalised communities currently outside the mainstream economy within the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2034.  

Dhaka University (DU) has postponed all examinations scheduled for Monday (July 13) due to adverse weather conditions, as heavy rainfall has triggered widespread waterlogging in many parts of the capital including many places in the university. In a notice issued on Sunday, the Office of the Examinations Controller said the decision was taken considering the ongoing adverse weather situation. The notice said fresh schedules for the postponed examinations will be announced later after approval from the university authorities. However, examinations of affiliated colleges and institutes under the university will be held according to their previously announced schedules. Notably, persistent heavy rainfall over the past several days has caused waterlogging on many roads across Dhaka, disrupting traffic and public movement.

The Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education, Chattogram on Friday postponed Saturday's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination in all districts under its jurisdiction due to the worsening flood situation. In a notice, the board said the ICT examination (Subject Code: 275), scheduled for July 11, has been postponed in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban districts. The board said a revised schedule for the postponed examination will be announced later. As widespread power outages have disrupted communication in many areas, the board requested in-charges of all examination centres to use public announcement systems (miking) to inform examinees and their guardians of the postponement. The decision came as heavy rainfall and flash floods continued to affect large parts of the Chattogram region, disrupting normal life and prompting authorities to take emergency measures.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has assured that academic freedom and autonomy of the country's universities will remain fully intact even as research budgets are implemented through the commission in line with a government decision. UGC Chairman Mamun Ahmed gave the assurance while addressing an exchange meeting with the Association of Bangladesh University Council at the UGC auditorium on Thursday, held to discuss implementation of the research budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. He said a coordinated committee involving university representatives will be formed to ensure proper, effective and transparent use of the allocated research funds. "The UGC will also frame a clear policy for management and implementation of the research budget." Speaking at the meeting, Association of Bangladesh University Council President Prof SM Abdur Razzak said allocating the research budget under the UGC code, instead of universities' own codes, created some administrative complications. He, however, noted the need to balance the government's priority of advancing education and research with the universities' long-standing practice of autonomy. Responding to the concern, Mamun said the research budget is being disbursed through a specific code as per government decision, and the UGC will implement it while ensuring an effective mechanism through regular discussions and coordination with the universities. He disclosed that Tk 226 crore has been allocated for the research sector in the 2026-27 fiscal year, to be spent under three key sub-sectors. Calls for research proposals at undergraduate, postgraduate, MPhil and PhD levels will be issued at the start of the fiscal year, with universities vetting proposals through their own institutional processes before sending them to the UGC. Funding decisions will then be made based on national priorities and the quality of research, he said. The UGC chairman said fund disbursement processes for the new fiscal year have already begun, with research proposals set to be collected quickly and necessary funds released within two weeks of receiving proposals to avoid delays in research activities. He assured that no university's allocation would decrease despite the funds being routed through the UGC; rather, universities stand to receive more funding compared to previous years. "Regional universities across the country will get equal opportunities in research allocation, with no discrimination." Citing last fiscal year's figures, Mamun said around Tk 900 crore was allocated for research, of which public universities received about Tk 793 crore and private universities around Tk 56 crore, dismissing the notion that private universities are deprived of research funding. He further said initiatives are underway to establish an integrated research ecosystem and a national research repository to ensure maximum effective use of allocated funds, which will help preserve research data, enable information sharing, and enhance the visibility of research at national and international levels. UGC chairman added that significant funding for higher education and research development is also being channelled through UGC-implemented projects, including the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation project and the Improving Computer and Software Engineering Tertiary Education project. UGC members Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Saidur Rahman, Masuma Habib, Mohammad Ayub Islam and Abdullah-Al-Mamun were present at the meeting, along with vice-chancellors or their nominated representatives from 45 public universities and concerned UGC officials. Participants expressed hope that the new management system would ensure greater transparency, accountability and efficiency in research funding, and strengthen the overall research environment in the country's higher education sector.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory (Matsuo Lab) of the University of Tokyo have celebrated the successful completion of the 14-week GCI World April 2026 artificial intelligence (AI) education programme, with a Bangladeshi student earning a place among the top 17 participants worldwide. To mark the programme's completion, JICA, Matsuo Lab and BRAC University jointly organised a hackathon and a special lecture on July 8. GCI World is a global educational initiative by Matsuo Lab that offers practical training in artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning through a combination of theoretical learning, competitions and real-world business applications. More than 25,000 students from 114 countries took part in the programme, including around 700 participants from Bangladesh. The programme featured the GCI World Hackathon, where students developed AI-based solutions to real-world challenges, followed by a special lecture delivered by researchers from Matsuo Lab, one of Japan's leading AI research laboratories. The session highlighted the latest developments in artificial intelligence and demonstrated how data science and machine learning can be applied to address practical business and societal challenges. The special lecture and closing ceremony, held at BRAC University, brought together more than 800 students from around the world, both in person and online, along with researchers, academics, industry professionals and distinguished guests. The event underscored a shared commitment to promoting innovation and preparing the next generation of AI professionals. Speaking at the closing session, Morikawa Yuko, Senior Representative of JICA Bangladesh, said Bangladesh has the potential to develop innovative AI solutions to address its own challenges. "If AI education can be connected with entrepreneurship, research and industry, I believe Bangladesh can develop its own solutions for its own challenges—and, in doing so, contribute innovations to the world," she said. The programme concluded with the announcement of the Outstanding Student Certificate recipients. One Bangladeshi student was selected among the 17 Outstanding Students globally and will have the opportunity to visit Matsuo Lab at the University of Tokyo in August 2026. According to JICA, the initiative reflects its continued commitment to strengthening Bangladesh's human resource development through international collaboration. By connecting Bangladeshi students with globally recognised academic initiatives such as GCI World, JICA aims to enhance local expertise in AI, data science and digital innovation, contributing to the country's ongoing digital transformation.  

Jahangirnagar University (JU) authorities have temporarily suspended 12 students of the History Department over allegations of ragging several first-year students of the same department. The suspended students belong to the 2024-25 academic session (54th batch), while the victims are from the 2025-26 academic session (55th batch). The university annou5nced the suspension in an office order signed by Acting Registrar Dr ABM Azizur Rahman at around 11:30pm on Saturday. According to the order, a group of 54th-batch students allegedly took several 55th-batch students to the Jahangirnagar University School and College field between 11pm on July 3 and 2am the following day, where they subjected them to ragging. The allegations state that the accused verbally abused the victims in obscene language, forced them to hold their ears and harassed them in the name of “teaching manners.” The office order said the alleged actions violated Section 5(6) of the university’s ‘Student Discipline Ordinance-2018’, which prohibits teasing, ragging and abusive behaviour anywhere on campus, including halls and academic departments. Following the allegations, the university suspended the 12 accused students under Section 4(1)(b) of the ordinance. The suspended students are including- Nasim Uddin Majumdar, Md Mahfuzur Rahman Onto, Abdullah Mahdi, Shubhashish Roy Pranto, Md Abu Abtahi Anik, Md Raihan Khan, Md Naimul Hasan, Md Isfak Hadi, Naim Ahmed Sazib, Kartik Chandra Roy, Kazi Shah Jamshed Alam Nabil and Saifullah Mansur Anan.

A two-day workshop under the AGILE project has brought together communication and journalism educators from universities across Bangladesh to collaboratively develop a climate reporting curriculum for higher education. The initiative aims to strengthen climate journalism education by equipping future journalists with the knowledge, skills, and ethical frameworks, said a media statement on Saturday. The workshop was held on July 3–4 at the CCULB Resort in Purbachal, Dhaka, and was facilitated by Professor Jude William Genilo and journalist Jesmin Papri. Representatives from Begum Rokeya University, Jagannath University, the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), and the University of Barishal participated in the programme. The first day focused on strengthening participants' understanding of climate reporting through expert presentations, interactive discussions, and knowledge-sharing sessions. Professor M Shahjahan Mondal of the Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) introduced key concepts in climate science and discussed the challenges Bangladesh faces in addressing climate change. The day concluded with a reflection session facilitated by Professor Gift Gwindingwe of Great Zimbabwe University. On the second day, participants reviewed a draft climate reporting course outline developed during an earlier AGILE co-design meeting in Sri Lanka in March this year. Discussions focused on adapting the proposed curriculum to the academic context of their respective universities. Participants then worked in groups to refine course content, teaching methods and implementation strategies before presenting their recommendations for further discussion. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to advancing climate journalism education in Bangladesh. Participants said future journalists and communication professionals need stronger knowledge and practical skills to report accurately and effectively on climate change, one of the country's most pressing development challenges. AGILE is a global consortium (2025–2028) supported by the European Union aimed to strengthening independent journalism worldwide.

A total of 1,937 students were absent from the Bengali (Compulsory) First Paper examination on the opening day of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations under the Dinajpur Education Board. Among the absentees, 366 were from Dinajpur district, said a notification issued by the Board's Examination Controller Mohammad Borhan Uddin. A total of 91,036 candidates were scheduled to sit for the Bengali First Paper examination. The notification also said one student was expelled from an examination centre in Thakurgaon district for adopting unfair means. This year, a total of 113,479 students—including regular, irregular and improvement candidates—from 665 colleges across the eight districts of Rangpur division are expected to appear in the HSC examinations under the Dinajpur Education Board. Of them, 59,043 are female and 54,436 are male. The Education Board said necessary measures have been taken to ensure the examinations are conducted in a fair and cheating-free environment. Although CCTV cameras were installed at the examination centres, police personnel deployed for security were not seen wearing body-worn cameras. The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations began simultaneously across the country on Thursday, with over 12.70 lakh candidates set to appear under 11 education boards. HSC exams began at 10 am with Bangla 1st Paper on the first day.

  Teachers Time, a parenting and teacher training platform, has launched a two-day professional development programme for the teachers of Averroes International School. A total of 90 teachers will participate in the training in two batches. The first batch of the programme began on Thursday at Averroes International School's Mirpur Campus. The training covers learning theories, experiential learning, and the effective use of Teaching-Learning Materials (TLMs). Participants are also receiving practical guidance on promoting active classroom participation, creating engaging learning environments, and improving teaching practices. According to the organisers, the programme aims to strengthen teachers' professional skills and support more effective, learner-centred classroom instruction.