United News of Bangladesh

At least five people, including the principal, were injured in an attack on a college allegedly by local BNP leaders and activists in Durgapur upazila on Thursday afternoon during the degree examination. The incident occurred around 2:30pm at Daokandi Govt College, where the 2024 degree second-year examination was underway amid Section 144 in place in and around the examination centre and the police deployment. According to witnesses and teachers, local BNP leaders and activists swooped on the principal’s office defying the restrictions and engaged in an argument over various issues, including alleged corruption that took place in the past. The situation later escalated into an attack, during which the principal and several teachers were allegedly assaulted, and the college office was vandalised. The injured include Principal Dr Md Abdur Razzaque, lecturer Aleya Khatun Hira, Prof Rezaul Karim Alam, and two other staff members. The injured teachers were taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for treatment. Of them, the principal and Aleya Khatun Hira were reported to be in critical condition. Following the incident, panic spread among examinees, forcing some teachers and students to flee the examination halls in fear. Teachers alleged that the attack was carried out by around 40-50 BNP leaders and activists. They also claimed that police were present at the scene during the incident but failed to effectively intervene. However, BNP leaders blamed the college teachers for the situation, saying the clash erupted after a teacher slapped some of their activists. They also said the incident stemmed from disputes over alleged corruption and irregularities at the college. Durgapur Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Rafiqul Islam said law enforcers tried to calm the situation through discussions, but some individuals allegedly entered the college premises and carried out the attack and vandalism. Police said legal action will be taken after receiving a formal complaint.  

At least 20 SSC examinees have been left distressed after being given the wrong question paper during the Bengali First Paper examination at a center in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi. The incident occurred at the Karachar Maulvi Tofazzal Hossain High School examination center, where authorities reportedly distributed a 2025 question paper instead of the 2026 syllabus paper meant for regular examinees. The affected students, from four different schools, completed their exam using the incorrect paper despite raising objections at the time. The four schools are Putia High School, Famous Institute Junior Secondary School, Haji Shamsher Ali High School and Ghaghatia High School. They later alleged that center officials instructed them to proceed with the test and discouraged them from reporting the issue. As a result, the 20 students now fear poor results and possible failure in the subject, according to guardians and examinees who spoke to journalists at the Narsingdi Press Club on Thursday. Several students, including Mahima Akhter Mim, claimed their preparation was severely affected and that they expect significantly low marks due to the mismatch in question papers. The students — Nadira Sultana, Ummehani, Nazir Ahmed, Vishal Das, Samrat Bhuiyan, Siam Hossain, Aminul, Abhi, Shakib and Md Shahparan — alleged that they immediately informed the teachers concerned about the error in the question paper during the examination. However, they claimed that the officials in charge of the center allegedly threatened them and instructed them to continue the exam with the incorrect question paper and not to disclose the matter to anyone outside. Former District Education Officer A.K.M. Shahjahan said the incident occurred due to negligence by the center secretary, hall superintendent and invigilators. He added that the question paper was designed for candidates who failed the previous year. “It was necessary to observe carefully while distributing this question paper. Since they did not do that, the students or examinees are now having to pay the price for their mistake,” he said. Narsingdi Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Md Rasheduzzaman said the administration has been informed and initial action has already been taken, including relieving those responsible at the center. “Further action will be taken as per higher authority instructions,” he said.

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Thursday told Parliament that the government has started the recruitment process to fill the vacant posts of assistant teachers in government secondary schools. “Currently, there are a total of 2,842 vacant posts of assistant teacher in government secondary schools across the country,” he said replying to a tabled question from Khelafat Majlis lawmaker Mohammed Abul Hasan (Sylhet-5) in the House. Earlier, the question-and-answer session was tabled by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, immediately after the Thursday’s parliament session started at 3:00 pm. The education minister said a list of vacant posts has already been prepared in order to address the shortage of teachers in government secondary schools. The necessary information has been sent to the Ministry of Education for sending a proposal to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) for recruitment, he said. “Through this an initiative has been taken to complete the recruitment process soon,” he added. On the other hand, to address the teacher shortage in non-government secondary schools and Alia Madradhsd, teacher recruitment process is ongoing by the Non-government Teacher Registration and Certification Authority. Through this, vacancies are being filled in phases, said Ehsanul Hoque. “So, by implementing the steps taken by the government, it will be possible to fill the vacancies in phases. Once the recruitment process is completed, the teacher shortage will be significantly reduced within a short period of time and the quality of education will improve,” he said. About the Madrashas, he said there are three government Alia Madrashas and 8,229 MPO-affiliated non-government Madrashas in the country. The number of vacant posts in government Alia Madrashas is 114, he said. In MPO-affiliated non-government Madrashas, there are 1,354 vacant posts of superintendent and 1,777 vacant posts of assistant superintendent. The process of filling these posts through NTRCA is ongoing, said the minister.

Three teachers were relieved of duty for distributing the wrong question paper during the SSC examination in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj. The teachers are Abdus Sattar, headmaster of Bagbaria High School; Maksudur Rahman, assistant teacher of Kansat Mahedur Rahman Girls High School; and Mahbubur Rahman, assistant teacher of Daipukuria UC High School. The incident came to light after a student submitted a written complaint to the upazila administration on Wednesday afternoon. No chance of question paper leaks in SSC exams: Education Minister Tahmidur Rahman, a student of Koylardiar High School, said he appeared in the SSC Bangla first paper examination held on Tuesday at the Kansat Soleman Miah Degree College centre. He alleged that he was given a question paper based on the full 2025 syllabus, which was not the scheduled format for this year’s exam. He further claimed that despite informing the exam officials immediately after identifying the error, no corrective action was taken. Instead, he was verbally mistreated, and three other students in the same room were also affected, according to the complaint. Shibganj Upazila Executive Officer Mazharul Islam said the matter was taken seriously after receiving the complaint. He added that the Rajshahi Education Board has been informed and requested to re-evaluate the answer scripts of the victim students. Education officials said a swift and transparent investigation is necessary to ensure accountability in such incidents.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain on Wednesday informed Parliament that feasibility studies are currently underway to establish government medical colleges in eight more districts. The eight districts are Munshiganj, Brahmanbaria, Thakurgaon, Natore, Narsingdi, Bhola, Sherpur and Lakshmipur. He said this this while responding to a starred tabled question from ruling party lawmaker Lutfur Rahman, (Cox’s Bazar-3) in the House. The Minister said currently there are 37 government medical colleges in 34 districts across the country. The 34 districts are: Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barishal, Rangpur, Cumilla, Khulna, Bogura, Faridpur, Dinajpur, Pabna, Noakhali, Cox’s Bazar, Jashore, Satkhira, Kishoreganj, Kushtia, Gopalganj, Gazipur, Tangail, Jamalpur, Manikganj, Sirajganj, Patuakhali, Rangamati, Habiganj, Netrokona, Nilphamari, Naogaon, Magura, Chandpur and Sunamganj. Sakhawat said there are 30 districts in the country that do not have government medical colleges. The districts are: Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Lakshmipur, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Joypurhat, Bagerhat, Jhenaidah, Narail, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalokathi, Barguna, Moulvibazar, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Sherpur.

Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinees this year have no opportunity to cheat and there is no risk of question paper leaks as in previous years, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said Tuesday. “There is no fear of question leaks. The cyber cell has been given clear directives to prevent leaks from the outset. The phone numbers of everyone involved in setting the question papers are in the hands of the cyber cell,” the minister told reporters at a press conference at the International Mother Language Institute on the first day of the examinations. Milon said Bangladesh has all the technological tools needed to prevent question paper leaks, they simply had not been used before. “This year, the cyber cell is on high alert to detect devices commonly used to leak examination materials.” Over 18.57 lakh examinees sit for SSC, equivalent exams

This year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations began across Bangladesh on Tuesday, with a total of 1,857,344 candidates participating. The examinations started at 10:00am at 3,885 centres nationwide under the nine general education boards, as well as the Technical and Madrasah Education Boards. Of the total examinees, 930,305 are males and 927,039 females – from 30,666 institutions.

This year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations will begin across Bangladesh on Tuesday, with a total of 1,857,344 students set to sit for the tests. All necessary preparations have been completed to ensure the examinations are held in a transparent, fair and orderly manner nationwide. Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin shared the information at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Monday. Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon was also present. Of the total examinees, 930,305 are males and 927,039 females – from 30,666 institutions. The number of centres is 3,885 this year. Technical education govt’s top priority: Education Minister Under the nine general education boards, a total of 1,418,318 candidates will take part in the SSC examination, including 667,305 male and 751,093 female students. Under the Madrasah Education Board, 303,286 students will appear in the Dakhil examination, including 161,491 male and 142,795 female candidates, across 742 centres. Meanwhile, under the Technical Education Board, 134,660 students will take part in SSC (Vocational) examinations, including 101,509 male and 33,151 female candidates, at 653 centres. Speaking at the press conference, Mahdi Amin urged students and guardians not to be anxious, saying the government aims to remove “exam fear” from the minds of students and ensure a smooth and student-friendly environment. He said authorities have been instructed to maintain a calm atmosphere in exam halls so that candidates can sit for the exams without disruption. Noting that this SSC batch missed earlier public examinations, including Primary Education Completion (PEC) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the adviser said this will be their first full-syllabus public examination, and special attention has been given to ensure a supportive environment. He also said educational institutions have been directed to ensure safe drinking water, adequate lighting and ventilation, hygienic sanitation facilities and backup electricity at exam centres. Law enforcement agencies will remain vigilant to ensure security and smooth movement, particularly for female candidates, while efforts will be made to keep areas around centres free from traffic congestion, Mahdi Amin said. He said invigilators and officials concerned have been instructed to avoid creating unnecessary pressure and to assist candidates where needed, including clarifying any confusion in question papers, as those were formulated during the previous government period. The adviser added that answer scripts should be evaluated fairly so that no candidate is deprived of their rightful marks. He expressed hope that students will attend exams confidently and complete them in a peaceful environment.

A cultural evening at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) descended into chaos on Thursday as a violent clash between two student factions forced organizers to shut down the event prematurely. The incident - which reportedly stemmed from a personal dispute involving a female student - left the university’s helipad area in a state of panic as students from two residential halls engaged in a heated physical altercation. The program, titled 'Junior Reception and Cultural Night,' was organized by the 63rd batch of the Faculty of Agriculture to welcome the incoming 64th batch. Eyewitnesses said the festive atmosphere turned sour midway through the performances when a verbal spat broke out between residents of Shamsul Haque Hall and Isha Khan Hall. The argument rapidly escalated into shoving and hand-to-hand combat, sending general students scurrying for safety and bringing the celebration to a grinding halt. While senior students and organizers attempted to intervene, the volatility of the situation prompted faculty authorities to suspend the program indefinitely to prevent further bloodshed. "It started over a private issue that escalated into a hall-based rivalry," a student requesting anonymity shared, noting that the tension had been simmering before exploding on the helipad. University Proctor Prof. Dr. Md. Abdul Alim confirmed that the proctorial body is taking the matter seriously. "We rushed to the spot immediately and found the groups dispersed, though the threat of a secondary clash remained high. We have already secured video footage of the brawl. Those who sabotaged this academic and cultural environment will face swift disciplinary action following a thorough investigation," the Proctor stated.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj on Wednesday said students and parents are extremely delighted as the primary scholarship examination has been reinstated after a prolonged suspension. “The government's core objective is to encourage students to attend school and pursue education through various initiatives, including scholarships. In line with this, there are plans to carry out the programme on a larger scale in the future,” the state minister told reporters after inspecting the primary scholarship examination centre at Motijheel Government Primary School in the morning. Earlier, the state minister also visited the Motijheel Ideal Government Primary School examination centre. “The primary purpose of the inspection was to ensure that students can sit their exams comfortably with all necessary facilities in place. We found that school authorities have made all the required arrangements,” he said, adding that he personally visited two centres on the day. Bobby Hajjaj said updates from across the country are being collected through district and upazila education officers. “All reports received so far have been positive.” However, he acknowledged that some student absenteeism was observed and said steps would be taken to improve attendance in the future. “Many measures will be introduced to encourage students and parents. Existing initiatives will also continue. I have spoken with parents; they have certain demands which the government will try to address through dialogue in the coming days.” The state minister disclosed that the government is considering revisions to the primary scholarship examination policy, including a fresh review of scholarship amounts and the number of beneficiaries. New criteria may be set separately for students at the government and non-government levels to further motivate students and their families. Highlighting the government's push to boost literacy, Bobby Hajjaj said the current government aims to raise the literacy rate to the target of 96 per cent. To achieve this, plans have been drawn up to strengthen non-formal education alongside formal primary schooling,he added. Primary and Mass Education Ministry Secretary Abu Taher Md Masud Rana and Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Abu Noor Md Shamsuzzaman were also present during the inspection.