United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka University Journalists' Association (DUJA) held a human chain protest demanding an environment for free journalism and protesting the attack on journalists by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) members inside Shahbagh Police Station while they were performing professional duties. The protest took place on Saturday (April 25) at 11:30 AM at the foot of the Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture at Dhaka University. The human chain saw participation from current DUJA members, as well as former presidents, general secretaries, and other veteran journalists. Speakers demanded immediate identification and legal action against those involved, formal filing of cases and administrative action from the University, ensuring a safe environment for independent journalism. The figures expressing solidarity included Shahidul Islam, President of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Mohammad Abu Hanif, Executive Member of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Moudud Ahmmed Sujan, Journalist at Al Jazeera, Mahbub Rony, Editor of The Daily Campus and former DUJA President, Hossain Tareq, Journalist at CGTN, Masum Billah, Journalist at bdnews24 and former president of DUJA, Sirajul Islam Rubel, Journalist at The Daily Star and former DUJA General Secretary, and among others. DUJ president Shahidul Islam said during the human chain, "When media outlets broadcast power instead of truth, that society moves toward fascism. If this government follows the path of the last 17 years where journalists were oppressed, the dream of democracy will remain just a dream. I urge the IGP to identify and dismiss the police officers who failed to ensure the safety of journalists inside the station." He also urged the university administration to take proper action against the involved. The Daily Campus editor Mahbub Rony said, "The case has not yet been recorded despite the chaos happening within the police compound. Since both the victims and the identified attackers are students of this university, the administration must ensure punishment. While JCD has formed an investigation committee, as an organization, they cannot evade responsibility for this attack." Sirajul Islam Rubel said, "It is ironic that the 'place of occurrence' is inside a police station. The DUJA President and Secretary waited four hours at the station yesterday, but the Officer-in-Charge (OC) was nowhere to be found. If we received justice for attacks in the past, why is it being delayed now, after August 5th, when media freedom should be at its peak?" Accusing both the university administration and law enforcement of "stalling tactics" to delay justice, DUJA running General Secretary Mahdi Hasan warned that if their demands are not met, they will launch a nationwide movement involving campus organizations across the country. Manjur Hossain Mahi, the newly elected President of DUJA, concluded by stating that obstructing professional duties and the subsequent physical assault is "highly reprehensible," and they expect effective action against the perpetrators immediately. Earlier on Thursday at least 10 journalists from DUJA were allegedly beaten by Chhatra Dal leaders and activists inside the Shahbagh police station as they were performing their professional duties. Then, DUJA demanded justice including the expulsion of the attackers who are the students of DU, expulsion from the Chhatra Dal, arrest of the attackers and ensuring freedom of press and protection over the country.

Bangladesh joined the global community in observing World Veterinary Day 2026 on Saturday through a series of programmes and awareness campaigns held across the country. In line with the nationwide celebrations, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) marked the day with various initiatives, including a free PPR vaccination drive for goats, aimed at highlighting the role of veterinarians as guardians of food safety and public health. The day was celebrated under the global theme, "Veterinarians are guardians of food and health." As part of the day’s activities at BAU, the Faculty of Veterinary Science organized a free Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) vaccination campaign at the university’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Prof. Dr. Md. Mahmudul Alam, member secretary of the BAU World Veterinary Day 2026 celebration committee, stated that the initiative was designed to ensure essential vaccines were accessible to local livestock owners. "We maintained an ample supply of vaccines to ensure that anyone could bring their goats for treatment free of cost," he said. The university’s programme commenced at 10:00 am with a rally starting from the Convocation Square. Over a hundred students from the Faculty of Veterinary Science participated in the procession, which passed through the Vice-Chancellor’s residence and K.R. Market before concluding at the VTH, where a cake-cutting ceremony was held. The event was presided over by Prof. Dr. Md. Ariful Islam, president of the celebration committee, with the Faculty of Veterinary Science’s Acting Dean, Prof. Dr. Md. Siddiqur Rahman, attending as the chief guest. Several senior faculty members, including Prof. Dr. Md. Mokbul Hossain, Prof. Dr. Md. Rafiqul Alam, and Prof. Dr. Mohammad Alam Miah, were also present. Addressing the importance of the profession, Prof. Dr. Md. Ariful Islam emphasized the commitment of veterinarians to maintaining food quality and disease control. "Our professional responsibility is to ensure that animal-derived products - such as milk, eggs, and meat - reach consumers free of pathogens," he said. "We are working tirelessly to prevent the transmission of dangerous zoonotic diseases, including rabies, anthrax, and brucellosis. Ultimately, protecting animal health is essential to mitigating public health risks." Echoing these sentiments, Acting Dean Prof. Dr. Md. Siddiqur Rahman highlighted the intersection of animal and human well-being. "Veterinarians are not merely clinicians for animals; they are sentinels of food security and public health. Under the 'One Health' concept, human, animal, and environmental health are deeply interdependent," the Dean said. "Our goal is to work collectively to safeguard both animal and human health, as veterinarians remain the true guardians of food safety and public health."

The academic future of more than 1.35 lakh SSC candidates for the 2026 session has been thrown into uncertainty following a sudden decision by the education authorities to examine them under the 2025 syllabus. The affected students, who registered for the 2023-24 session but studied under the 2026 curriculum, are now reportedly being forced to sit for exams based on an "old" syllabus they never fully covered. A notification issued by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, on April 23—after the examinations had already commenced—clarified that students registered in 2023-24 must follow the 2025 syllabus. 20 SSC examinees face setback after receiving wrong question paper in Narsingdi However, many of these students had missed their 2023 academic year due to illness, accidents, or other personal reasons, effectively joining the new curriculum introduced in 2024. According to Ministry of Education data, around 4.5 lakh students registered for the 2023-24 session are appearing for the 2026 SSC exams. Approximately 30 percent of them (1.35 lakh) studied the new curriculum in Class IX in 2024 and the short syllabus in Class X in 2025, leaving them unprepared for the full 2025 syllabus. The lack of coordination became evident during the initial days of the examination. Abdul Awal, a parent of a student appearing at Motijheel Government Boys School, shared his daughter's ordeal. "My daughter appeared for the Bangla 1st paper under the new 2026 syllabus, but on the second day, she was handed the Bangla 2nd paper question based on the old 2025 syllabus," he said. He added that despite her 2023-24 registration, she had only studied the new curriculum after missing her 2023 session due to a physical injury. Guardians and education observers have criticized the timing of the board’s notification, noting that neither the schools nor the boards had informed the students of this requirement earlier in the academic year. Given the frequent changes to the SSC curriculum over the past few years, stakeholders are urging the government to consider the situation on humanitarian grounds. They argue that forcing students to sit for exams on a syllabus they were never taught is a "wholesale decision" that risks the secondary education outcomes of over a hundred thousand learners.

The Dhaka University Quiz Society (DUQS) is set to organise the ‘PQREC Presents 2nd DUQS International Quiz Fest 2026’ on May 2-4, aiming to promote quizzing culture and connect participants from across the globe. With the theme “Curiosity Without Borders,” the festival will be held at the TSC Auditorium of the University of Dhaka. Organisers expect thousands of participants to attend physically, while more than 500 contestants from different countries are likely to join online, giving the event an international dimension. The festival will feature six segments: inter-school, inter-college, inter-university, mega quiz, international, and a thematic round titled ‘WARQUEST’. All competitions will be team-based, focusing on knowledge, analytical ability, and teamwork. Participants will compete for prizes, crests, souvenirs, and certificates. The international segment will be organised entirely online to ensure participation from outside Bangladesh. Students from schools, colleges, and universities nationwide are expected to take part in the event, making it one of the largest quiz competitions in the country, according to the organisers. Registration for the event will remain open until 11:59pm on April 25, and interested participants have been advised to complete the process within the deadline. Founded in 2016, DUQS has established itself as a leading student organisation dedicated to knowledge-based activities and competitive quizzing. Organisers believe the international quiz fest will further expand the reach of Bangladesh’s quizzing community and foster global engagement through learning.

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