The  University Grants Commission (UGC) has allocated Tk 157.58 crore budget for Islamic University in Kushtia under its 2020-21 fiscal year.

A press release, signed by IU information, publication and public relations office deputy registrar Rajibul Islam Kanok, was issued in this regard on Thursday.

IU treasurer Professor M Selim Toha handed the budget over to IU vice-chancellor Professor M Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari.

IU pro-vice-chancellor Professor M Shahinoor Rahman, proctor Professor Paresh Chandra Barman, acting registrar SM Abdul Latif, accounts director Muhammad Siddiq Ullah and among others were present on the occasion.

UGC has also allocated budget to buy three new double-decker buses and budget for Islamic University Laboratory School and College for the first time, the release said.

When contacted, IU VC Professor Rashid Askari said, "I tried my best to ensure transparency and accountability and resolved almost all the audit objections raised by UGC over the years. This increase in the budget has resulted from our fiscal transparency and good governance.”

'We also have contributed remarkably to income generation which has been a boon to the university," the VC said.

Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under the ICT Division inaugurated its online class activities at Dhaka Residential Model College through an online video conference on Monday.

State Minister of ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak was present as the Chief Guest at the inaugural function.

The iDEA project will provide technical support for the online classes of ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth classes, said a press release.

Each class will continue for 60 minutes with 45 minutes of teaching and 15 minutes of question and answer (Q&A) sessions.

Students will be provided with the routine of the class and the necessary materials in advance.

State Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak was present as the Chief Guest at the inaugural function held online.

The ICT Division has been working in collaboration with the country's education, health, and food management since the beginning of coronavirus attack in country, State Minister said.

“We have no alternative but to adapt with this new changing world and get used to information technology as technology is the only driving force, especially in all areas of business, including education and health,” he said.

“Not only during the Coronavirus situation but also in the future, we will continue our efforts to make the education system equally gifted to all without any discrimination using the modern technology,” Palak said.

Also read: Bangladesh is manufacturer as well as user of digital products: Palak

Kazi Hossain Ara, Deputy Project Director (Deputy Secretary) of iDEA Project, Mehedi Hasan Bhuiyan, Technology Management Specialist of the project, Consultant of iDEA Project Monirul Islam, Omar Farooq, Dewan Adnan, Shohag Chandra Das were also present there among others.

Education Ministry on Monday said that offices of educational institutions can remain open for administrative maintenance.

“Offices at all education institutions can remain open to limited extent only for admission, maintenance of science centre, library and other equipment,” said a handout from the Ministry.

It also urged the sick teachers, staff, and pregnant women to refrain from venturing to risky educational institutions.

Also read: Educational institutions to remain closed till Sept if corona situation doesn’t improve: PM

Teachers and school staff were urged to wear masks and follow the health guidelines according to the health authorities.

All the educational institutions will remain closed until June 15.

Also read: Educational institutions to remain shut till June 15

On April 27, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said educational institutions in the country will remain closed till September next if there is no improvement in the prevailing situation triggered by COVID-19.

The Rajshahi Education Board secured the top position while Sylhet fared worst among the nine general education boards in this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations, in terms of the pass rate or what percentage of their students passed the exam.

This is the 3rd successive year that Rajshahi have secured divisional the top spot. Sylhet too have been rooted to the bottom now for three years in a row. 

According to the results published on Sunday, 90.4 percent of students  sitting for the exam under the Rajshahi Board were deemed to have passed, followed by Jashore with 87.3 percent - the same top two as last year.

The Cumilla Board came third this year with an 85.2 percent pass rate, edging out Chattogram where 84.8 percent of the students passed. Dinajpur were fifth with 82.7 percent. 

Dhaka came 6th with an 82.3 percent pass rate, ahead of Mymensingh’s 80.1 percent.

The only two boards to fall below an 80 percent pass rate this year were Barishal with 79.7 percent and last-placed Sylhet with 78.8 percent.    

Prime Minister Sheikh Haisna on Sunday ruled out the possibility of opening educational institutions right now saying that students are the future of the country and the government does not want to put them at risk.

"May be we cannot open the educational institutions, because we want to advance step by step so that they (students) are not infected with coronavirus," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while publishing the results of SSC and equivalent examinations from her official residence Ganobhaban through videoconferencing with Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni who was present at her Ministry with chairmen of different education boards.

Dipu Moni, on behalf of the Prime Minister, received the results from the chairmen.

Sheikh Hasina said that students are the future of the country and the government does not want to put them in danger.

"That's the reason why we won’t open any educational institution right now. If we can overcome this (coronavirus) situation, we’ll open the educational institutions gradually," she said.

Terming the present situation as a crisis for the whole world, she asked all to have self confidence. "Self confidence is the biggest thing, whatever the situation comes we have to face that," she said.

The prime minister said the country already faced a cyclone and high tide amid this coronavirus pandemic.

"We’ll face all crises, including cyclone, with confidence and we’ll work together as we’re doing right now," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that the country will be able to overcome the coronavirus pandemic by working together. "That's the goal and that’s the decision of the government," she added.

Regarding the relaxing of the shutdown, the Prime Minister said that everything was closed for a long time. "Other countries are opening their wheels of economy in phases," she pointed out.

In this connection, she briefly described various stimulus packages and food and monetary assistances of the government for the welfare of the people.

She said the government in 19 packages allotted some Tk 103,117 crore which is 3.7 percent of the GDP.

"I do not know any country in the world announced such huge amount (of its GDP) as stimulus package," she said.

The Prime Minister said that the government has included all poor, distressed and jobless people under its monetary and food assistance programmes.

"Politics is for the people, the main aim of politics is to reduce the pain of the people," she said.

Read Also: 82.87pc pass SSC, equivalent exams

'Education gets highest priority’

Sheikh Hasina said the government gives highest priority to education as it knows that to build a hunger and poverty free Bangladesh, there is no alternative to an educated nation.

"If the ray of the education does not enter every house of the country, it won’t be possible to eliminate poverty from the country," she said.

In this connection, she mentioned that the government has formulated the Education Policy and implementing that to ensure that the light of education reaches every house.

The Prime Minister said that students of the country are very much brilliant and they can prove themselves if they get chances.

She requested the students to build themselves as the worthy citizens of the country imbued with patriotism and humanity, and the government is providing all necessary supports in this regard.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally published the results through a videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence here this morning.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni handed over a summary of the results to the Prime Minister online from her secretariat office. Deputy Minister for Education Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel was present on the occasion.

PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus and PMO Secretary Tofazzal Hossain Mian were present at Ganobhaban, while Secretary of Secondary and Higher Secondary Division Md Mahbub Hossain moderated the results handing ceremony at the Ministry of Education.