United News of Bangladesh

A delegation from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is in the Netherlands on a visit in an effort to boost experience on textile waste recycling. The visit, organised in collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Dutch Embassy in Dhaka, seeks to bridge technological gaps and foster partnerships to transition towards a more sustainable and circular textile economy. Bangladesh's apparel industry, the world's second-largest, generates an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 tons of textile waste annually, according to a press release. While this "jhut" has a high potential for recycling—especially the cotton-based portion—the country currently recycles only a small fraction, with most of the waste either exported or disposed of in landfills and waterways. This lack of a formal recycling infrastructure has created environmental and social issues, including an unregulated, informal labor market with poor working conditions. The BGMEA team's visit is seen as a pivotal step for Bangladesh to align with global sustainability requirements and the growing demand for recycled content from international buyers. BGMEA seeks easier customs bond services to boost RMG competitiveness The European Union, for instance, has introduced regulations that will require suppliers to use more recycled materials by 2030. By actively seeking out Dutch expertise and technology, Bangladesh's industry aims to enhance its recycling capacity, reduce its reliance on raw cotton imports, and secure its long-term competitiveness in a greener global market. This effort reflects the BGMEA's Sustainability Vision 2030, which prioritizes circularity and emission reduction. The mission is a proactive response to the industry's need for a formal, scalable textile recycling ecosystem, which could not only mitigate environmental impact but also unlock a significant new revenue stream and create a more transparent and equitable supply chain.

For the very first time in the history of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed ‘Oikyoboddho Shikkharthi Jote’ (United Students’ Alliance), has won the polls securing a record number of posts. Out of total 28 posts in DUCSU, the panel secured 23. On the other hand, the panels of Chhatra Dal and Ganatantrik Chhatrasangsad did not secure even a single post. Shibir-backed VP candidate Shadik Kayem was elected VP securing 14,042 votes while his nearest rival Chhatra Dal’s Abidul Islam Khan got 5,708 votes. In the General Secretary post, Shibir candidate S M Farhad was elected with 10,794 vote while his closest rival Tanvir Bari Hamim of Chhatra Dal got 5,283 votes; Abu Bakar Majumdar of “Boishommobirodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad” got 2,131 votes; Meghmallar Basu of the Left Alliance-supported panel “Protirodh Parishad” got 4,949 votes; and independent candidate Arafat Chowdhury got 4,044 votes. DUCSU: Shadik enjoys commanding lead in race for VP as Shibir set to sweep top three posts In the Assistant General Secretary post, Shibir-backed candidate Md. Mohiuddin Khan was elected with 11,772 votes while his nearest rival Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed of Chhatra Dal, got 5,064 votes; Ashrefa Khatun of “Boishommobirodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad” secured 900 votes; independent candidate Tahmid Al Mudassir bagged 3,008 votes and Jabir Ahmed Jubel of “Protirodh Parishad” got 1,511 votes. In the Liberation War and Democratic Movement Affairs Secretary post, Shibir-backed candidate Fatema Tasnim Jhuma won with 10,631 votes, Ariful Islam from the Chhatra Dal panel received 2,470 votes, Numan Ahmed Chowdhury from “Independent Students’ Unity” got 1,776 votes; Mojammel Haque of “Protirodh Porshad” got 1,336 votes and B. M. Fahmida Alam from “Aparajeyo 71 Odommo 24” panel got 1,057 votes. In Social Services Secretary post Independent candidate A. B. Zubair was elected with 7,608 votes as Social Services Secretary of DUCSU. Mohir Alam of “Boishommobirodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad” got 2,099 votes; and Syed Imam Hasan Anik from the Chhatra Dal panel received 3,903 votes.

Dhaka University authorities have announced that all classes and examinations scheduled for Wednesday (Sept 10, 2025) will remain suspended. The information was confirmed in a notice signed by Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Acting Director of the Public Relations Office of the university. The suspension follows Tuesday’s Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, which was marred by allegations of vote rigging and triggered protests by student groups on campus.

The long-awaited Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election will be held tomorrow Tuesday, six years after the last, that itself was held after a gap of 28 years. Branded as the “second parliament” of Bangladesh, the DUCSU election is returning amid much anticipation and speculation. Over the past 13 days, candidates ran vibrant campaigns in a festive atmosphere, employing creative methods to win over voters. Most students have also finalized their choices for the 41 positions at stake—28 in DUCSU and 13 in each of the 18 hall unions (students vote for the hall they belong to). Ballots and Candidates According to the schedule, voting will take place from 8am to 4pm. A total of 471 candidates are contesting the 28 DUCSU positions, while 1,035 students are vying for 234 hall union posts. This year’s ballots will be larger than before—five pages for DUCSU and a single page for hall unions. Voting will be conducted through Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets, with each voter allotted eight minutes to cast their ballot. Polling Centers The election will be conducted across eight centers on campus, with 810 polling booths set up: 1. Curzon Hall Center: Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah Hall, Amar Ekushey Hall, Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall (5,077 votes). 2. Physical Education Center: Jagannath Hall, Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall, Salimullah Muslim Hall (4,853 votes). 3. TSC Center: Rokeya Hall (5,665 votes). 4. DU Club Center: Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall (4,755 votes). 5. Senate Building Center: Sir AF Rahman Hall, Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, Bijoy Ekattor Hall (4,830 votes). 6. Udayan School & College: Surja Sen Hall, Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, Poet Jasim Uddin Hall (6,155 votes). 7. Geology Department Center: Poet Sufia Kamal Hall (4,443 votes). 8. ULAB School & College: Shamsun Nahar Hall (4,096 votes). Shuttle Bus Service To ensure smooth voting, Dhaka University authorities will operate special shuttle bus services from 7:45 am to 3:50 pm on polling day. The circular route will cover the Geology Department, Curzon Hall, Shahbagh, TSC, Udayan School, DU Teachers’ Club, ULAB School, Senate Building, and Physical Education Center before returning to the Geology Department. Voting Process Voters can cast their ballots at their designated centers at a convenient time. Identity verification will be mandatory: First-year students must show library cards or pay-in slips. Other students may use DU ID cards, hall cards, or library cards. Once verified, polling officials will mark voters’ fingers with indelible ink, and they must sign the voter list before receiving a ballot. Voters will then enter secret booths—without mobile phones or electronic devices—mark their chosen candidates with a cross (X) inside the designated box, and place the ballot into separate boxes for DUCSU and hall elections. Ballots must not be folded. For the first time, 30 visually impaired students will vote through the Braille method. Returning Officer and Associate Professor Sharmin Kabir of the Institute of Education and Research will oversee the process. Transparency in Counting To ensure transparency, the university authority announced that vote counting will be broadcast live on LED screens outside polling centers. Voters and Contestants The final voter list includes 39,775 students—20,873 male and 18,902 female. For DUCSU: Vice-President (VP): 45 candidates General Secretary (GS): 19 candidates Assistant General Secretary (AGS): 25 candidates Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary: 17 candidates Common Room, Reading Room, and Cafeteria Secretary: 11 candidates International Affairs Secretary: 14 candidates Literary and Cultural Secretary: 19 candidates Science and Technology Secretary: 12 candidates Research and Publication Secretary: 9 candidates Sports Secretary: 13 candidates Student Transport Secretary: 12 candidates Social Welfare Secretary: 17 candidates Health and Environment Secretary: 15 candidates Human Rights and Legal Affairs Secretary: 11 candidates Career Development Secretary: 15 candidates Members (13 posts): 217 candidates For hall unions, 1,035 candidates are competing for 234 positions. The last DUCSU election was held on March 11, 2019, after a 28-year hiatus. In that election, Nurul Haque Nur was elected VP, Golam Rabbani GS, and Saddam Hossain AGS. Unlike 2019, when there were 25 DUCSU posts, this year’s polls include 28 positions, with the addition of four new posts—Research and Publication Secretary, Career Development Secretary, Health and Environment Secretary, and Human Rights and Legal Affairs Secretary—following demands from student bodies.

In a bid to ensure transparency and build student confidence, the vote count for the DUCSU and Hall Parliament elections will be broadcast live on LED screens installed outside each polling station. Professor Dr Mohammad Zashim Uddin, Chief Returning Officer of the DUCSU election, confirmed the move in a statement Sunday night, highlighting efforts to make the electoral process more open and credible. "To inform voters, the Election Commission has announced that bags, mobile phones, smartwatches, electronic devices, water bottles, or any liquid substances will not be allowed inside polling centers," he said. In addition, the University of Dhaka will operate a special shuttle service on election day to facilitate student voters' movement across campus. The special shuttle will run in a circular route from 7:45 am to 3:50 pm on September 9, covering major campus points including the Geology Department, Curzon Hall, Shahbagh, TSC, Udayan School, Teachers' Club, ULAB School and College, Senate Building, and Physical Education Center. Meanwhile, campaign activities officially concluded at 11:00 pm on Sunday, marking the end of a spirited final day of electioneering. Candidates actively engaged in leaflet distribution, face-to-face interactions, and various outreach initiatives across the campus. A total of 471 candidates will contest for 28 positions in this year’s Ducsu election. Among them, 48 candidates are vying for the post of Vice President (VP), 19 for General Secretary (GS), and 25 for Assistant General Secretary (AGS). For the post of Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary, there are 17 candidates. For Common Room, Reading Room, and Cafeteria Secretary, 11 candidates are contesting, while 14 are running for International Affairs Secretary. Besides, 19 candidates are contesting for Literature and Cultural Secretary, 12 for Science and Technology Secretary, 9 for Research and Publication Secretary, 13 for Sports Secretary and 12 for Student Transport Secretary. For the post of Social Service Secretary, there are 17 candidates; Health and Environment Secretary, 15; Human Rights and Law Secretary, 11; and Career Development Secretary, 15. This time, for the member posts, a total of 217 candidates will compete. Around 40,000 voters are eligible to cast ballots.

In preparation for the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) and Hall Parliament elections, the university authorities will operate a special shuttle service to facilitate student voters on election day. According to a press release issued by the university's Public Relations Office on Sunday, the shuttle service will operate in a circular route across key points on campus from 7:45 am to 3:50 pm on September 9. The designated route begins at the Department of Geology, and will proceed via Curzon Hall, Shahbagh, Teacher-Student Centre (TSC), Udayan Higher Secondary School, Dhaka University Teachers' Club, ULAB School and College, Senate Building, and the Physical Education Center, before returning to the Geology Department. The DUCSU and Hall Parliament elections are scheduled to be held on Monday, September 9, with voting taking place from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The shuttle initiative is aimed at ensuring smooth and convenient transportation for students across campus on election day, allowing them to reach polling centers efficiently. Meanwhile, candidates are actively engaged in electioneering, making the most of the final hours before the campaign period ends tonight. They are conducting last-minute outreach through leaflet distribution, face-to-face interactions, and various other campaign activities across campus. A total of 471 candidates will contest for 28 positions in this year’s Ducsu election. Among them, 48 candidates are vying for the post of Vice President (VP), 19 for General Secretary (GS), and 25 for Assistant General Secretary (AGS). For the post of Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary, there are 17 candidates. For Common Room, Reading Room, and Cafeteria Secretary, 11 candidates are contesting, while 14 are running for International Affairs Secretary. Besides, 19 candidates are contesting for Literature and Cultural Secretary, 12 for Science and Technology Secretary, 9 for Research and Publication Secretary, 13 for Sports Secretary and 12 for Student Transport Secretary. For the post of Social Service Secretary, there are 17 candidates; Health and Environment Secretary, 15; Human Rights and Law Secretary, 11; and Career Development Secretary, 15. This time, for the member posts, a total of 217 candidates will compete. Around 40,000 voters are eligible to cast ballots.  

A festive spirit has swept through Dhaka University as the DUCSU and hall union election campaigns near their climax. Candidates are actively engaging in last-minute outreach through leaflet distribution, interactions and various campaign activities. As part of the final round of electioneering, JCD vice-president (VP) candidate Abidul Islam Khan carried out campaign activities at the Faculty of Fine Arts around 11:30 am. The candidates of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD)-backed Abid-Hamim-Mayed panel also held an oath ceremony at Bot Tola on the campus. Meghmallar Basu, General Secretary (GS) candidate from the 'Protirodh Porshad' panel in the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election, participated in the final day of campaign despite being physically unwell. The panel's candidates presented their stance at a press conference held at Modhur Canteen. According to the election schedule, Sunday is the last day for campaigning. The elections are scheduled for September 9 and a total of 471 candidates will contest for 28 positions. Among them, 48 candidates are vying for the post of Vice President (VP), 19 for General Secretary (GS), and 25 for Assistant General Secretary (AGS). For the post of Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary, there are 17 candidates. For Common Room, Reading Room, and Cafeteria Secretary, 11 candidates are contesting, while 14 are running for International Affairs Secretary.

On the final day of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) campaigning, candidates turned to legal notices, dollar-themed flyers, bookmarks, playing cards and even Gen-Z pop culture aesthetics in a bid to draw attention. A total of 471 candidates are vying for 28 DUCSU posts. On Saturday, the campus was flooded with campaign materials, some of which students are collecting as souvenirs due to their unique designs rather than for the voting appeal. Legal Notice Tactic Mahadi Hasan Monna, popularly known as `Manobadhikar Munna,’ a candidate for the post of Human Rights and Law Secretary, grabbed attention with legal notices distributed among voters. Targeting `the most beautiful women and handsome men` on campus, Munna’s notice stated: `You are hereby informed that although Dhaka University teaches human rights, structural and institutional conflicts continue to violate students’ rights. Munna seeks to continue the fight for rights as he did in the past.` Munna didn’t stop there—he also distributed butterfly-shaped flyers containing his manifesto, particularly designed to attract female voters. Gen-Z campaign Style Independent member candidate Samsudoha Nawab designed his flyers in the style of the iconic Breaking Bad poster. His leaflet featured the phrase `Let Him Cook on September 9’ along with his ballot number `162` and a QR code at the bottom.

The Election Commission for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (JUCSU) has cancelled the candidacy of Amartya Roy, the vice-president (VP) candidate from the "Sampritir Oikya" panel, ahead of the long-awaited JUCSU elections scheduled for September 11. The decision was announced in a press release signed by Chief Election Commissioner Dr Moniruzzaman on Saturday afternoon. According to the statement, Amartya Roy, a resident of AFM Kamaluddin Hall and a student of the Department of Archaeology from the 2017–18 academic year, was declared ineligible to be a voter and candidate under Sections 4 and 8 of the JUCSU constitution. Chhatra Dal seeks temporary ban on DU Facebook pages ahead of DUCSU polls When contacted, Amartya Roy said, “I cannot make a formal statement yet. Discussions are ongoing within our panel. We are consulting with all concerned and will proceed in a manner that reflects the students' best interests.” He added that he will act in accordance with the University Act and JUCSU Election Commission rules. “I will provide further details once a final decision is made,” he said. In response to a question about whether he would file a writ petition in the High Court, Roy said, “We are not considering that at the moment. However, we will speak with everyone involved and make a decision that benefits all.” Amartya Roy is the immediate past president of the Bangladesh Student Union JU Sangsad and a student of the 47th batch of the Department of Archaeology at JU. Two shot in JP-Gono Adhikar clash at Bijoynagar The upcoming JUCSU election marks the first student union polls at the university in 33 years. The Election Commission has confirmed that seven panels, including independent candidates, will contest the polls.

A day-long Global Studies Olympiad was held on Saturday at the Rangpur Cantt Public School and College auditorium with the participation of around 1,000 students from classes 3 to 10. Students from 17 government and private institutions across Rangpur took part in the event, aiming to build a prosperous and developed Bangladesh through educational competition. The programme was inaugurated at 10 am by Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal. In his speech, DC Rabiul said the initiative would encourage students to seek knowledge and help shape a brighter future for the country. The event was presided over by Ashraful Alam Al Amin, Chairman of Teesta University and advisor to the Global Studies Olympiad. Special guests included poet, essayist, and educationist Monalisa Rahman; senior correspondent of Jamuna Television and Naya Diganta, Sarkar Mazharul Mannan, who is also General Secretary of Rangpur Journalists Union (RPUJ) and Rangpur Reporters Club; founder of Rangpur Musical Brand Association Ajay Nath; and Mizanur Rahman Mizan, founder and headmaster of Shibram Smriti Pre-Cadet School and College. The welcome address was delivered by Muiz Mubarrat, an 11th-grade student at Rangpur Cantt Public School and College and founder of the Global Studies Olympiad, along with Shoaib Haque Shibati, CEO of the Olympiad. The Olympiad began with a one-hour written competition and IQ test, conducted in three categories covering both national and international affairs. The tests were evaluated using OMR sheets. Following the results, 30 students were awarded medals, crests, and a total of Tk 30,000 in prize money across the three categories. Additional Police Commissioner Naresh Chakma said, “We must focus on academic competitions. Initiatives like this should continue to inspire students.”