education
BCL no longer hiding its intention to rule BUET campus
Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling Awami League's powerful student front, staged a large counter-rally on Sunday against the ongoing movement of BUET students to keep their campus ringfenced from student politics.
The BCL rally left no room for any more doubt that they believe it is time for the BUET authorities to lift the ban imposed on student politics in October 2019, following the macabre killing of Abrar Fahad by a group of BCL activists in a BUET dorm.
They demanded reintroduction of student politics in BUET.
The BCL protest rally started around 12pm on Sunday.
As per the announcement, the rally was scheduled to start at 11 am. Before starting the rally, the leaders and activists gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar with processions joining in from different halls of Dhaka University and various units of Chhatra League's Dhaka Metropolitan units. Leaders and activists kept coming towards Shaheed Minar shouting slogans aimed at painting the apolitical student body of BUET in a communal light.
Imtiaz Hossain Rahim Rabbi, a BUET student who has been acting to facilitate the return of BCL, and with them student politics, to the BUET campus and had his residential seat subsequently cancelled, could be seen at the front of the procession.
BCL president Saddam Hussain delivered an 'ultimatum' to the university administration to reintroduce student politics 'without delay'. Besides, he demanded the restoration of Rabbi's residential seat.
"From this rally we are requesting BUET administration to restart student politics in the campus immediately. The rule you imposed (banning student politics)is a black law. There is nothing in the university ordinance that allows you to ban student politics. It is unconstitutional."
The student body of BUET has been protesting the latest attempt by the BCL leaders and activists to return to the BUET campus as a political entity, that started late last Wednesday (past midnight) with Rabbi inviting the BCL president to the campus and facilitating his entrance.
After that some BCL committee members garlanded their president, marking it out as a distinctly political activity.
Word got around of this seemingly harmless but highly meaningful incident that was meant to act as an icebreaker for BCL's return to the campus throughout Thursday, and the tension around the campus grew palpably.
On Friday, the general students, who over the last 5 years have vigilantly guarded their campus against the often ruinous student politics afflicting many other institutions in the country today, announced they would be boycotting all academic activities including term final exams that were held on Sunday with abysmally low attendance.
The general students have formally asked for a new date to be set for the exams.
After the protest, BCL leaders and activists formed a procession and marched toward BUET Shahid Minar around 2.20 pm and submitted floral bouquets.
Students reject BCL claims
Following the show of strength by BCL, the general students of BUET were forced to clarify how their opposition to student politics on campus does not mean they oppose the spirit of the Liberation War of 1971.
They organised a press conference in front of Dr. MA Rashid administrative building around 5.15pm on Sunday.
Representatives of the general student body said BUET students strongly believe in the spirit of the Liberation War and independence.
"Not wanting student politics on campus does not mean moving away from the ideology of the Liberation War. Rather we students do not want lust for power and greed to hold BUET hostage again," they said.
"We are against Hizb ut Tahrir. If any student is found to be affiliated with such groups, they too should be dismissed."
One of the canards floated by the BCL as part of their tactics to force their way back to BUET has been that the Jamaat e Islami student front Shibir, and the banned Hizbut Tahrir were secretly active among the students in favour of keeping student politics banned and keeping the campus safe.
The general students insisted they are determined to prevent the emergence of such 'evil forces' in BUET.
The students also said that they are willing to resume their academic activities as long as their demands, mainly relating to preserving the ban on student politics and taking action against certain individuals to prevent the repetition of such attempts by BCL in future, are met.
Even before the ban was imposed in 2019, the Awami League's two successive governments at that point had successfully ensured a dominant position for their student front on campuses throughout the country.
Analysts say it was only a matter of time before BCL eyed the coveted BUET, revered as the most prestigious of all DU departments and institutes, again.
Their demand for resumption of student politics must be seen as actually a demand to let them resume their domination of the campus, since no other student front is in any position to challenge them.
As the AL regime has gone from strength, BCL has grown more and more powerful, even exercising influence over teacher recruitment in some universities around the country, tender selection and awarding of contracts for university infrastructure or services like catering, and of course controlling the distribution of hall seats.
BUET Row: BCL announces counter protest rally at Shahid Minar
Following the ongoing movement of BUET students against student politics in BUET campus, Bangladesh Chhatra League has announced a counter protest rally near BUET campus at central Sahid Minar.
The protest rally will be held at 11 am at the foot of central Sahid Minar, near the gate no. 6 of BUET campus.
Earlier, a group of 5 BUET students, who marked themselves as the ‘people of pro-liberation war’, organize a press conference under the banner of ‘victim students’ in front of BUET Shahid Minar at 3pm where they claimed that they are under pressure and do not feel safe in the campus only because they contain the sprit of liberation war or support the organization that support the liberation war.
They also claimed that communal forces like Hijbut Tahrir and Shibir are actively working in the BUET campus and revealed a list of some ‘Shibir activists.’
“We have not conducted any kind of political activities in the campus and are not affiliated with any political organization, but in terms of ideology, we believe in the spirit of the
liberation war,” they said.
Immediately after the press conference BCL announced a protest rally on their official pad signed by BCL president Saddam Hussain and Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.
In the press release, BCL protested the suspension of Imtiaz Rahim Rabbi and marked BUET authority’s decision of banning students’ politics in the campus as ‘Undemocratic and violation of constitutional rights.’
After the declaration of suspension of Imtiaz Rahim Rabbi, the BCL leaders and activists of Dhaka University were seen very active and aggressive in the social media against BUET authority’s decision
UP member arrested over rape of school girl in Shariatpur
A union parishad (UP) member was arrested over the gang rape of a female school student in Shariatpur’s Naria upazila on Saturday.
Liton Laskar, 50, is a member of Ward 3 of the Kedarpur Union Parishad of the upazila.
Liton and Sanjay Majumder, a part-time teacher of the school, called the victim to the library after the school closed on Sunday (March 24) and raped her, said Shariatpur Additional Superintendent of Police (Naria Circle) Ahsan Habib.
According to the police, Liton, who is the general secretary of the school's managing committee and a member of Kedarpur Union Parishad, had been harassing the girl for a long time.
They threatened to kill the victim if she told anyone.
After going home, the victim did not tell anyone at first, but on Thursday, she informed her mother and aunt. Later, the student was admitted to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital.
On Friday afternoon, the victim's mother filed a case at Naria Police Station, accusing Liton and Sanjay. Later, police arrested UP member Liton from the Mulfatganj area.
Shariatpur ASP (Naria Circle) Ahsan Habib said efforts are underway to arrest the other accused, Sanjay.
College girl raped at gunpoint in Dhaka; Tangail AL leader Boro Monir sued
A college girl was allegedly raped by an Awami League leader of Tangail at gunpoint at his residence in Uttara area of the capital on Friday night.
The victim filed a case under Women and Children Repression and Prevention Act against him with Turag police station early Saturday, said the police station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mostafa Anowar.
Accused Golam Kibria alias Boro Monir, vice president of the Tangail city unit AL, took the girl to his flat in Priyanka city residential area (R/A) in Uttara and raped her there, according to the case statement.
Receiving a call from national emergency service 999, police rescued the girl from the flat on Friday night but didn’t find the accused there during the drive, the OC said.
The victim’s mother alleged that a woman was involved in the rape incident.
She also alleged that police were dilly-dallying to take the case from Friday night and they were pressuring them to file a case against unidentified people.
OC Mostafa said legal action in this connection is underway.
Buet students continue protest for day 2 against BCL activities on campus
The students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) continued their demonstration on Saturday against the alleged activities of Bangladesh Chhatra League activists on the campus where student politics is prohibited.
They boycotted all sorts of academic activities for the second consecutive day and demanded stricter action against those students who tried to revive student politics on the campus ignoring the ban.
They gathered in front of Dr. M A Rashid administrative building in the the morning chanted slogans against student politics.
On October 11, 2019, Buet authorities banned student politics after Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was beaten to death by a group of Chhatra League (BCL) activists at the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall in the early hours of October 7.
Amid protests of general students, Buet authorities cancelled the hall allocation of Imtiaz Rahim Rabbi, a student of 21st batch of Civil Engineering department and also a member of BCL central panel, but no decision was taken about his expulsion as per the demand of the students.
The protesting students gave an ultimatum to the university authorities seeking expulsion of Imtiaz Rahim Rabbi within 2 pm today.
They also demanded expulsion of those students whom they identified by analysing CCTV footages. They are ASM Anas Ferdous (ID: 1818004), Mohammad Hasin Arman Nihal (ID:2106101), Aniruddha Majumdar (ID:2106079), Zohirul Islam Emon (ID:2112031) and Sayem Mahmud Sajedin Rifat (ID: 2106126) for violating the rules of the university.
Besides, the students asked the university authorities to clarify its stance regarding the entrance of BCL men in the midnight and use of the seminar room for political purposes as it requires permission from Directorate of Students' Welfare (DSW).
The students also sought resignation of Director of Student Welafare for ‘failing to do his duty and violating the regulation of the university’. They also declared to continue boycott of academic activities till March 31.
The Buet authorities assured the protesting students of forming a probe to investigate the matter on Friday.
In the midnight on March 28, BCL president Saddam Hussain along with other leaders and activists entered Buet campus when Imtiaz Rahim Rabbi, an executive member of BCL central panel, was present and allegedly played vital role in the entering of the BCL men.
Besides, some leaders and activists of the newly formed BCL committees gave floral wreaths to the president.
One of the gatemen of Buet seeking anonymity also confirmed the matter of using the auditorium in the midnight of March 28 by BCL leaders.
BUET students boycott academics to protest BCL being allowed back on campus
The students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology(BUET) have boycotted all sorts of academic activities after witnessing the ruling party's student front, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), staging a return to political activity on the campus.
BUET students have renounced student front politics on behalf of politicals parties on their campus since a group of BCL activists were implicated in torturing a bright and sensitive first year student, Abrar Fahad, till his death over the course of a macabre night on the BUET campus in 2019.
The BCL has since tried sporadically to bring politics back, or political programmes specifically, on the campus but met with resistance from the student body on each occasion, and the latest incident would seem to fall in that line of succession.
On Thursday, BCL president Saddam Hussain along with other central leaders and activists of BCL entered BUET campus where Imtiaz Rahim Rabbi, a BUET student and executive member of BCL central panel, was present and ‘played a vital role’ in facilitating their entry. Thereafter some leaders and activists of newly-formed BCL committees presented floral bouquets to the president.
The general students of BUET marked this entrance of BCL in a group as aimed at communicating their presence on the campus - to test the waters as it were, as part of a conspiracy to revive student politics on the BUET campus.
BUET students wasted no time in staging day-long demonstration on the campus demanding safe campus and strict measures against any BUET students found to have conspired with the BCL leaders.
Hundreds of students joined the demonstration expressing solidarity with the movement from the morning and held a press briefing there, where they declared their opposition to ‘using BUET campus for political motives’, and immediately boycotted all academic activities including the scheduled classes and exams of March 30 and 31.
Their demands include suspending any BUET students involved from halls and departments for violating the university’s regulations; specifically they demand action against 'involved' Imtiaz Rahim Rabbi.
They also asked for safety guarantees for those protesting, the BUET administration’s stance on the incident, safety and security of all the protesting students with assurances in a written format and making sure that they face no harassment. The students also demanded the resignation of the Directorate of Students’ Welfare's leadership, saying it has failed to do its job.
10,000 primary teachers to be recruited by June: state minister
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Rumana Ali said that ten thousand primary school teachers will be recruited within the month of June in the third phase.
She said this while visiting Comilla Victoria Government College centre on Friday, during the third phase of the primary teacher recruitment examination of Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
Written exams for assistant teacher recruitment in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions started at 10 am on Friday and ended at 11 am.
DU admission test results for 2023-24 session published
Dhaka University authorities published the results of undergraduate admission test for 2023-24 session on Thursday afternoon.
DU Vice Chancellor prof. ASM Maksud Kamal unveiled the results from Prof. Abdul Motin Chowdhury virtual classroom of the university.
A total of 109,363 students took part in science unit admission test of the university of which 9,723 students passed against 1851 available seats.
Pratik Rasul, a student of Notre Dame College, secured the 1st position in the test obtaining 111.25 score out of 120.
In Arts, Law and Social Science unit, 102,000 students took part in the admission test against 2934 seats. Only 10, 275 students passed the test.
DU admission test results of all units to be published tomorrow
A female student from Khulna Govt M M City College named Priyoti Mondol, topped the merit list in this unit securing a total of 105.25 marks out of 120.
In Business Studies unit, a student of Chittagong Commerce College secured position in the test scoring 105.50 out of 120..
A total of 4,582 students passed the test and there are only 1050 seats under this unit.
For Fine Arts unit, 530 students passed the test of which only 130 students will be able to take admission.
Badhan Talukder of Bir Shreshtha Munsi Abdur Rauf college secured the 1st position in this unit obtaining total 98.15 score in the test.
The students who passed the tests were asked to fill up subject choice forms from University’s official website in between April 3 to April 25.
ACC begins probe into irregularities in IU mega project
Students can also download subject choice forms from April 1 for analysing subject and taking appropriate decision.
However, the DU VC also hinted that the classes of the new batches may start from July 1.
GD filed as job seeker offers bribe to IU VC
A general diary was filed with Islamic University police after a girl offered the university vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam Tk 10 lakh as bribe for a job through a WhatsApp message.
The text message was sent to the IU VC’s personal WhatsApp number on Tuesday, a day before the recruitment tests for the computer operator and the computer typist held on the campus in Kushtia on Wednesday.
HM Ali Hasan, acting registrar at the University, filed the GD at Islamic University police station, said M Mamun Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of IU police station on Wednesday.
Drive against illegal VoIP to continue: Palak
According to the case statement, a job seeker named Mithi sent a text message to IU VC’s personal WhatsApp number requesting him to give her a job in exchange of Tk 10 lakh. Besides, she repeatedly requests the vice-chancellor to talk to her on WhatsApp
Taking the issue into consideration, a GD was filed with the police station in this regard, according to the case statement.
IU vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam said that a girl named Mithi gave him a phone call on his WhatsApp number on Tuesday morning.
When he denied talking to her and cut off the phone call, the girl sent him a text message offering him Tk 10 lakh for a job at the university.
Body of rice depot employee recovered in Jashore
The message was now seen deleted, said the VC, adding that it was a conspiracy against him.
Earlier, a total of 14 audio clips containing conversations between IU vice-chancellor professor Shaikh Abdus Salam and different persons went viral on social media from February 16 to June 13 last year.
DU admission test results of all units to be published tomorrow
Admission test results of all units of Dhaka University's undergraduate progamme of the academic year 2023-2024 will be published at 3.30 pm on March 28.
DU vice-chancellor Prof ASM Maksud Kamal will reveal the results from the Abdul Motin Chowdhury virtual classroom.
By providing information, applicants will be able to check their results at admission.eis.du.ac.bd website or use the short message service (SMS) available on any mobile operator.
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A press release issued by DU public relations office confirmed the information.
The admission test for Arts, Law and Social Science unit was held on February 23; for the Business Education unit on February 24, and the test for the Science unit was on March 1.
The test(Drawing and MCQ) for the Fine Arts unit was held on March 9.