United News of Bangladesh

The Islamic University (IU) unit of Chhatra Shibir staged a protest march and student rally on Saturday (October 18), issuing a seven-day ultimatum for the implementation of digital payment, along with four other key demands. Over 500 leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of Bottola and brought out the rally from there around 1:00pm. It ended at the same place after parading through the main streets of the campus. The five demands raised by the organisation include immediate trial for the murder of Sajid, provision of the IUCU (Islamic University Central Students’ Union) policy and roadmap, implementation of a digital payment system, opening under-construction student halls this year and recruitment of teachers based on merit and transparency. Addressing the rally, IU Shibir president Mahmudul Hasan said, “93 days have passed since Sajid’s murder, but the killers remain unidentified and unarrested. If they are not brought to justice promptly, we will be forced to announce strict programs.” On student union elections, he criticized the administration for citing legal pretexts to delay the polls, noting that other universities like BRUR and JnU are moving forward with elections. “The administration promised to finalize the IUCU policy by October 15, but no action has been taken as of October 18. Any further delay will be met with a strong student response,” he said. Regarding digital payments, Hasan warned, “If the administration is sincere, the system can be digitized within 21 days. If visible steps are not taken within seven days, the offices of the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and Treasurer will be paralyzed.” Shibir-backed candidates clinch key RUCSU posts; Ammar elected GS He also expressed concern about delayed hall construction, seat allocation, and the urgent need for transparent merit-based teacher recruitment. Among others, IU Shibir president Mahmudul Hasan, secretary Yusub Ali, office secretary Rashedul Islam Rafi, finance secretary Sheikh Al Amin, publicity secretary Absar Nabi Hamza, and skill development secretary Hasanul Banna Oli were present on the occasion.  

The MPO-listed teachers and staff have continued their protest at the Central Shaheed Minar for the seventh consecutive day, pressing a three-point demand. Today, they also held a demonstration wearing black badges as a mark of protest. The protesters have been observing a hunger strike at the monument since 2pm on Friday. Their demands include a 20 percent house rent allowance based on their basic salary, a medical allowance of Tk 1,500 for both teachers and staff, and an increase in the festival allowance for employees to 75 percent. Shanto Islam, joint member secretary of the MPO Education Nationalization Aspiration Alliance, said that 84 teachers joined the hunger strike starting at 2 p.m. on Friday. “The number has increased today. Several have already fallen ill, and five have been treated and sent home,” he added. Another protester, Mohammad Zainal Abedin, said they would continue their movement until their demands are fulfilled. Earlier, on Tuesday, police barred the protesters when they attempted a long march toward the Secretariat. On Wednesday, they blocked the Shahbagh intersection, disrupting traffic in the area. They had also planned a “March to Jamuna” program on Thursday, but later suspended it. Following a discussion on Thursday, the interim government proposed a 5 percent house rent allowance starting from November. The protesting teachers and staff rejected the offer, declaring that they would continue their movement. Education Adviser Professor C. R. Abrar told the media that the finance ministry had informed them it could provide a 5 percent house rent allowance from November, with a minimum of Tk 2,000. “Due to financial constraints, it is not possible to offer more right now. This has been conveyed to the teachers and staff, but they did not agree,” he added. The protesters have insisted that the allowance should be increased by 10 percent now, with a further 10 percent increase next year.

The newly elected Vice President of the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU), Mostaqur Rahman Zahid, has pledged to work with all students, including those who lost in the election. Speaking in front of the Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium shortly after the RUCSU election results were announced on Friday morning, Zahid urged winners to celebrate their victory peacefully, showing respect to religious practices, and focus on fulfilling the students’ mandate. “Victory and defeat are natural in elections. We will all build this campus together,” he said.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has identified three fake foreign university branch campuses operating in the country and issued a warning to students against enrolling in them. The universities are: America World University, USA; Trinity University, USA; and the Spiritual Institute of New York. According to UGC, none of these universities have received approval from the government or the commission. Dr. Shamsul Arefin, Director of the Public Relations and Publications Department at UGC, said that the matter came to light when Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited applied to the commission to verify certificates of two students from America World University and Trinity University. During the verification process, UGC discovered the operation of these unauthorized branch campuses. “The list of proposed universities submitted by the ministry to the commission does not include any project under these names,” Dr. Arefin added. UGC noted that various media reports indicate the presence of unapproved foreign university branches, tutorial centers, and study centers in Bangladesh. Most of these institutions operate without authorization, offering bachelor, master, MPH, MBA, MPhil, and PhD degrees, which are entirely illegal under the law. UGC takes initiative to address teacher shortage in public universities Students are paying money to receive certificates from these unauthorized universities and many have been defrauded. UGC has recently sent letters to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and the Anti-Corruption Commission urging immediate action against these universities. Dr. Shamsul Arefin emphasized the need for effective measures to prevent further student exploitation.    

The Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) elections were conducted fairly and peacefully, according to the election observation team led by Professor Rafiqul Islam. Speaking at a press conference held at the Vice Chancellor’s conference room on Thursday evening, Professor Rafiqul Islam said the observation team visited every polling station during the election process. “We spoke to voters and closely monitored the voting process. Based on our observations, we’ve prepared a report for the registrar. We found that the voting was conducted in a fair and peaceful manner,” he said. He added that no formal complaints of vote rigging were received by the team. “No one came to us with any allegations regarding irregularities,” he noted. RUCSU Election 2025: Jote Leads Center Stage Politics, Promising Fresh Faces Surfacing However, he acknowledged that voting took longer in some halls due to the large number of voters. Meanwhile, a total of 69.83 percent of registered students cast their votes in the RUCSU elections. Polling began at 9:00 am and continued until 4:00 pm.  

A total of 69.83 percent votes were cast in the elections to the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election, officials confirmed on Thursday. Election Commissioner of RUCSU, Mostafa Kamal Akand, came up with the final turnout after the end of voting. Balloting of RUCSU began at 9am and continued until 4pm. All ballot boxes were taken to Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium for counting. The ballot papers would be bundled into groups of 100 for efficient counting, which will be conducted using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) machines under the supervision of a panel of experts, said the Commissioner. "The final results will be prepared in three phases," said Commissioner Akand, adding that counting for one hall will begin only after the results of another are finalised. As a result, it may take 12 to 15 hours to complete the full counting process and declare results for all 283 posts. Although counting was scheduled to begin at 5pm, it officially started around 6:30pm. The entire counting process is being displayed live on LED screens set up at Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium and the Shaheed Minar premises. Besides, according to the university’s election observation team, the long-awaited RUCSU election was held in a free, fair and peaceful environment. Professor Rafiqul Islam, head of the observer team, said, “We visited each polling centre and spoke with voters and election officials. Based on our observations, we have submitted a written report to the Registrar confirming that the election was conducted smoothly.” He further stated that no complaints of vote rigging were received during the day. “We didn’t observe any malpractice. However, due to a large number of voters in some halls, the process took longer than expected,” he added. Some 247 candidates are contesting 23 posts in the central RUCSU election, while 58 candidates are vying for five seats in the university senate. For the hall union polls, 597 candidates are contesting 252 posts across 17 residential halls, with 42 candidates elected unopposed. In the central RUCSU race, 18 candidates are running for vice president (VP), 13 for general secretary (GS), and 16 for assistant general secretary (AGS). For security, around 2,000 police personnel, along with six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 12 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been deployed to avoid untoward incidents.

The C (JnU) unit of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has installed a washing machine and hot-and-cold water filter at the Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani student hall, as part of its ongoing ‘Safe Water Drinking Project’. The equipment was installed on Thursday afternoon to address the needs of residential students, particularly regarding access to clean water and laundry facilities. Farzana Haque Lubna, a resident of the hall and a student of the Sociology Department, said there was a shortage of safe drinking water filters in our hall. “We also faced difficulties with washing clothes. This initiative by Chhatra Shibir will help ease our troubles,” she added. Tisha Parveen, a student from the Anthropology Department, added, “Chhatra Shibir is taking student-friendly steps, which is commendable. There are several ongoing issues in the hall, and such initiatives help address them.” Md. Riazul Islam, president of the JnU unit of Chhatra Shibir, said, “We installed a modern washing machine and a hot-and-cold water filter based on the needs of the female students in the hall. We want to stand by students and address their concerns.” Chhatra Shibir Secretary Abdul Alim Arif said that the installation is part of the organization’s wider ‘Safe Water Drinking Project’ aimed at improving student facilities. Professor Dr. Anjuman Ara, provost of Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall, expressed her appreciation, saying, “Our hall needed these facilities. I thank Chhatra Shibir for this initiative.” Chhatra Shibir’s Organizing Secretary Mohammad Zahed, Office Secretary Ibrahim Khalil, Finance Secretary Mostafizur Rahman, and other leaders and activists of the organization, also present.

The Department of English at East West University (EWU) on Thursday hosted its annual inter-university literary festival, Foodi Presents EWU Lit-Carnival 2025, transforming the campus into a vibrant hub of creativity and cultural exchange. The day-long event drew more than 200 participants and visitors from 22 public and private universities across the country, celebrating the spirit of literature, performance, and imagination through a diverse lineup of competitions and activities. This year’s Lit-Carnival featured several exciting segments, including Spot Poetry and Recitation, Comic-Con and Cosplay, Poster Presentation, Drama, and Masquerade. Beyond the competitions, attendees also enjoyed a literature-themed food court and a popular used-book swap, adding to the lively, community-driven atmosphere of the festival. The inaugural session was graced by Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of EWU. Luva Nahid Choudhury, Director General of Bengal Foundation, attended as the Chief Guest and officially inaugurated the festival stalls at the university courtyard. A major highlight of the event was the Spot Poetry competition, which was judged by renowned literary figures including Munize Manzur, Member, Board of Trustees, EWU and Principal of Sunbeams School, Dhaka; alongside Professor Dr Fakrul Alam, Adviser to the Department of English and former Pro Vice Chancellor of EWU. The carnival concluded with a grand award ceremony in the evening, where Professor Dr Shams Rahman, Vice Chancellor of East West University, attended as the Special Guest and delivered the closing remarks, commending the students and organizers for their creative efforts and inter-university collaboration.  

Not a single student from nine colleges in Kurigram district managed to pass the 2025 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination. The nine colleges are Singar Dabrihat College in Rajarhat upazila, Char Shoulmari Adarsha Mohila College in Roumari, Bagua Anantapur School and College in Ulipur, Rashed Khan Menon College in Phulbari, Tapurchar School and College in Kurigram Sadar, Samaj Kalyan Women's College in Nageshwari, Chilakhana Model College, Kuti Payradanga School and College, and Dhaldanga School and College in Bhurungamari. Reacting to the outcome, officials of Kurigram District Education Office said it will take necessary steps after reviewing the results in detail. The dismal performance has triggered disappointment among students, parents, and educationists across the district. Meanwhile, the overall national HSC pass rate dropped to 58.83%, a sharp decline of 19 percentage points compared to last year.

The vote counting in the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election began on Thursday afternoon after the long-awaited polling ended amid a peaceful manner.  Official results are expected to be announced within 15 to 17 hours of the election, according to election officials. Balloting of RUCSU began at 9am and continued until 4pm. After visiting several centres while briefing media at Zubery Bhaban on Thursday morning, RU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Saleh Hasan Naqib expressed optimism that the voter turnout would reach 70 percent. RUCSU Election 2025: Jote Leads Center Stage Politics, Promising Fresh Faces Surfacing Thanking all for their cooperation, the VC said the voting was being held peacefully and no reports of an unexpected incident was found. This marked the 17th RUCSU election in the 72-year history of RU. No student union polls have been held at RU since 1990. After several delays and rescheduled dates, students finally exercised their voting rights to elect their representatives. Voting took place in 17 centres across nine academic buildings, with a total of 990 booths. The university authority said they have procured a sufficient number of watermark reader machines for vote counting. The election activities are being monitored through CCTV cameras, and transparent ballot boxes were used. RUCSU elections underway after 35 years  Though the university administration listed 28,901 students as voters, with 11,305 female and 17,595 male students respectively, it is yet to be known how many students cast their votes. This time, 247 candidates are contesting 23 posts in the central RUCSU election, while 58 candidates are vying for five seats in the university senate. For the hall union polls, 597 candidates are contesting 252 posts across 17 residential halls, with 42 candidates elected unopposed. No extra ballots printed for RUCSU election: EC In the central RUCSU race, 18 candidates are running for vice president (VP), 13 for general secretary (GS), and 16 for assistant general secretary (AGS). For security, around 2,000 police personnel, along with six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 12 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been deployed to avoid untoward incidents.