Education
Islamic University: Victim returns to campus
The victim who was ousted from his hall by a group of activists of Islamic University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student organisation of the ruling Awami League, returned to the campus on Monday.
Mahadi Hasan, a third-year student of finance and banking department of the university, returned to the campus in the afternoon three days after he was ousted from the Lalon Shah Hall of the university.
The BCL men ousted Mahadi almost one month after a fresher of the same department was tortured and humiliated by ruling party-backed student body’s IU unit vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora and her four cohorts at Deshratna Sheikh Hall on February 12 night.
Returning to the campus, Mahadi sought cooperation of the university administration for his security measures.
IU Lalon Shah Hall provost Professor M Obaydul Islam said that the victim who was ousted from the hall returned to the hall.
They would take necessary action against those found involved in ousting the student from the hall after getting reports from the probe body formed by the hall administration, he added.
IU proctor Professor M Shahadat Hossain Azad told UNB that they would assist Mahadi like other students on the campus so that none could create chaos regarding the issue.
Earlier, a group of IU BCL unit activists, including Torikul Islam Torun and Razu of Bangla department and Fahim Faisal of development studies department, loyal to IU BCL general secretary Nasim Ahmed Joy, asked Mahadi to meet them.
Mahadi met the BCL activists who then forced him to leave the room.
They also threw his valuables, including books and belongings, out of the room.
Mahadi later lodged a written complaint against the BCL activists with the hall provost in this connection on Saturday.
The Lalon Shah Hall administration formed a three-member probe body led by the hall’s house tutor Professor M Helal Uddin to investigate the incident on Sunday.
Single admission test for universities from next year: Dipu Moni
A single admission test will be held in all universities of the country from next year, Education Minister Dipu Moni said on Monday.
National Testing Authority (NTA) will be formed to conduct the exam, the minister said at a policy-making meeting on the single admission test for the academic year 2023-2024 held at UGC.
Dipu Moni called upon the concerned to prepare for the single admission test from now on.
Besides, a committee headed by the UGC chairman will be formed soon regarding the solo entrance test, she added.
UGC Chairman Prof Dr. Kazi Shahidullah presided over the meeting while members of the commission Prof Dr. Dil Afroza Begum, Prof Dr. Md. Sajjad Hossain, Secondary and Higher Education Department Additional Secretary Md Abu Yusuf Mia and UGC Secretary Dr. Ferdous Zaman were also present.
The examination procedure will be discussed in detail with the dean of the university and the examination committee in this regard, the minister said, adding that the schedule of the single entrance examination will be published after HSC examination.
She said that the initiative is being taken for the sake of students and guardians and hoped that there will be no chance to raise any questions about its quality.
Teaching can be started in a short period of time if the admission test is held simultaneously in all universities, UGC Chairman Kazi Shahidullah said.
The success of the single admission test would be a huge achievement in the higher education sector, he hoped.
Sexual harassment : MM College BCL publicity secretary relieved
Bangladesh Chhatra League publicity secretary of Jashore Government Michael Madhusudan (MM) College unit Nur Islam has been relieved from the post.
Nur Islam has been relieved from the organization for his involvement in activities against the principles the organization, said a press release signed by District BCL president Salauddin Kabir Pias and general secretary Tanjib Nowshad Pallab on Sunday.
He was recommended to the Central Committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League for expulsion.
District Chhatra League president Salauddin Kabir Pias said, "Reports have been published in various media about the harassment of the students of Sheikh Hasina Hall of the college and the attempt to abduct a student. After discussing with the president and secretary of the central Chhatra League, Nur Islam was relieved from the post. At the same time, he has been recommended to be expelled.”
Students of Sheikh Hasina Hall alleged that outsiders and non-students, led by Nur Islam, stay at Shaheed Asad Hall and harass the students of Sheikh Hasina Hall in various ways.
On January 31, the students gave a written complaint to the principal in this regard. On January 21, an attempt was made to abduct a student of Geography and Environmental Science department under the leadership of Nur Islam. Later, with the help of the police, the girl returned home.
Sexual harassment: DU suspends student of criminology
Dhaka University has suspended a student of the Department of Criminology for harassing a female student.
Suspended Sakin Tanvir is a student of the 2016-17 academic session.
In this regard, the authorities sent him a show-cause notice and asked him to respond within seven days as to why he shouldn't be expelled.
During investigation, he was found guilty of sexually harassing junior female students of the department, the release said.
"DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman approved the suspension," said a press release issued by DU Public Relations Office.
Body formed to probe IU student’s ouster from hall
The Lalon Shah Hall administration of Islamic University in Kushtia appointed a three-member probe committee Sunday to investigate the alleged incident of a residential student getting kicked out of the hall by activists of the university's Bangladesh Chhatra League unit.
Mahadi Hasan, a third year student of finance and banking department of the university, was ousted from the Lalon Shah Hall by a group of BCL activists, hardly one month after a fresher of the same department was tortured and humiliated by its vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora and her four cohorts at Deshratna Sheikh Hall.
IU Lalon Shah Hall provost Professor M Obaydul Islam formed the probe body to be led by house tutor Professor M Helal Uddin.
The hall’s house tutor Partha Sharothi Laskar and assistant proctor Professor Shariful Islam Jewel are the two other members of the probe body.
The body was asked to submit its reports within seven working days, the hall provost said.
The hall administration would take necessary steps in this connection against the accused involved in the incident after getting the report from the probe body, he added.
Earlier, a group of IU BCL unit activists including Torikul Islam Torun and Razu of Bangla department and Fahim Faisal of development studies, loyal to IU BCL general secretary Nasim Ahmed Joy, asked Mahadi to meet them.
He met the BCL activists who forced him to leave the room, asking who permitted him to get hold of the seat.
They also threw out his valuables including books and belongings from the room.
Mahadi later lodged a written complaint against the BCL activists with the hall provost on Saturday.
On February 12 night, a first-year female student of the finance and banking department was reportedly tortured and intimated by IU BCL unit vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora and her cohorts, including Tabassum, Mim, Urmi and Maobiya in Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on the campus in Kushtia.
Ontora, at one stage, forced the victim to undress and videoed the incident on her mobile phone. She also threatened the victim that she would make the video viral on social media if the victim disclosed the matter to anyone.
The incident drew huge protests in Islamic University as well as other educational institutions across the country.
Meanwhile, the university authorities on Sunday morning brought out an anti-ragging rally on the campus with a view to creating awareness among the students of the university.
The rally ended in front of the university’s Mrittunjoyee Mujib Mural after parading the main roads of the campus.
Addressing the rally, IU vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam said that the university authorities would take stern action against any student found to be involved in torturing and humiliating anyone on the campus.
Islamic University: BCL unit at it again
A group of activists of Islamic University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling party student front, forcefully removed a student from his allocated seat at Lalon Shah Hall of the university.
The victim, Mahadi Hasan, a third year student of finance and banking department of the university, lodged a written complaint in this connection with the hall provost Professor Obaydul Islam on Saturday, two days after the BCL activists allegedly forced him to leave the hall.
According to the complaint, the victim was staying at his allocated seat of room no-428 after the hall administration had allocated a seat to him.
A group of IU BCL activists including Torikul Islam Torun and Razu of Bangla department and Fahim Faisal of development studies, loyal to BCL IU unit general secretary Nasim Ahmed Joy, asked Mahadi to meet them on Friday night.
Later, Mahadi met the BCL activists who forced him to leave the room after asking him who got him the room.
They ousted his valuables including his books from the room, the complaint said.
When contacted, Mahadi told UNB that the BCL activists threatened him on Thursday with dire consequences if he did not leave the room.
"They kicked my bag and baggage from the room to the veranda," he said.
Nasim Ahmed Joy denied the allegation saying that the matter of ousting the student from the hall was false as the student did not get in the seat allocated to him. So, there is no question of ousting him from the hall, he added.
IU Lalon Shah Hall provost Professor Obaydul Islam said that he received a written complaint from the student and the issue would be solved soon after discussing the matter with the student and the BCL men.
DUTA condemns 'newspaper' for conspiring against country
Without mentioning Prothom Alo, Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) has waded into the controversy raging over the Independence Day content on the vernacular's website reported by its Savar correspondent and taken down after just 17 minutes of its own accord.
DUTA today issued a notification signed by DUTA president Prof. Zinat Huda and general secretary Prof. Nizamul Houque Bhuiyan asking the government to take action against the "newspaper conspiring against the country."
“Instead of the caption under the picture of a child, the report published the statement of a day laborer, which derided the freedom of the country. Also, although the caption reveals the comment as a day laborer's statement, no adult man is seen in the picture. According to an investigative report published in another media, the picture was taken by luring a child taking advantage of his poverty,” the notification reads.
"When the government took legal measures in this regard, some circles including some international media are saying that the government is oppressive. But the reality is that the measures have been taken for using a child as a news material by providing incentives with dishonest purposes,” it says.
DUJA expresses concern over picking up of journalist Shamsuzzaman by CID
Dhaka University Journalists Association(DUJA) has expressed deep concern over the picking up of Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams by Criminal Investigation Department(CID).
In a joint statement on Thursday, its president Mamun Tushar and general secretary Sirajul Islam Rubel said, “The incident of picking up journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams from his residence by the law enforcement agency without any formal complaint or warrant is worrying. We believe that such incidents are a threat to the country's independent journalism and freedom of media.”
“Any complaint against anyone can be addressed through normal legal process. Without doing so, the incident of picking up of a journalist from his house early in the morning is not desirable at all. We believe that there should be sincere cooperation of authorities of the government to uphold the freedom of media recognized by the constitution. At the same time, we demand the release of all the journalists arrested under the Digital Security Act and justice for the attacks and torture on journalists in the country at various times,” the statement reads.
Prothom Alo's reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, working in Savar near capital Dhaka, was picked up from his house in Ambagan area near Jahangirnagar University in the early hours of Wednesday morning by the CID accusing him of publishing a ‘false’ and ‘fabricated’ report.
“Jahangirnagar University Chief Security Officer Sudipta Shaheen was with the CID when Shamsuzzaman Shams was picked up. He also admitted that CID members called the owner of the house where Shamsuzzaman lives when he was picked up from home. They told the owner of the house that the state has objections regarding a report made by Shamsuzzaman and he is being taken for questioning,”the statement also reads.
Globalizing the local of Bangladesh: Specialist English language blog ‘The Confluence’ launched
“Since the [US] Fed Rate hikes were initiated in March 2022, the Bangladeshi Taka has lost nearly 25% of value against the US dollar, and foreign exchange reserves plummeted as import costs and debt-servicing became more expensive,” writes Dr. Saim Amir Faisal, founder and CEO of a developmental social entrepreneurial organization called Citizens Programme for Human Development (CPHD).
“The Pakistani Rupee has lost nearly 45% of value against the US dollar, the economy is on the verge of a collapse, as inflation soars, and foreign reserves continue to plummet to record lows; foreign reserves as low as $3bn. The Sri Lankan Rupee plummeted nearly 50%, ultimately bankrupting the economy, as dollar denominated debt could no longer be serviced due to the tremendous loss in value of the Sri Lankan Rupee, import bills could no longer be met,” he writes.
In no way, shape or form does the author claim that the US Federal Reserve manufactured the currency crisis, but, there is tangible economic reasoning to suggest that the Fed rate was integral to the crisis unfolding.
Dr. Faisal refers to the US Fed rate hike, between 1997 and 1998, which had a debilitating effect on Asian economies including the likes of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea – known as the Asian Financial Crisis.
“The Thai baht was one of the first currencies to come under pressure, with speculators betting against the currency and pushing it to devalue in July 1997. The baht lost more than half of its value against the US dollar over the course of 1997, triggering a wave of contagion, as investors began to flee other Asian currencies as well.
“The Malaysian ringgit and the Indonesian rupiah both saw sharp devaluations in the following months, and the South Korean won also came under increased pressure by currency speculators” reads the write-up by Dr. Faisal.
Like this thought-provoking piece, with a number of takes on a range of issues – covering diplomacy, governance, policy and politics – a specialist English language blog “The Confluence” was launched yesterday.
“In the current social media-driven, live update culture, we often miss the necessary contexts, including the backgrounds,” said founder and publisher of The Confluence, Barrister Shah Ali Farhad, who holds a Master of Public Policy degree with ‘Merit’ from Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
The ultimate challenge comes when perceptions are created based solely on such short-form content. With the objective to “globalize the local of Bangladesh”, The Confluence intends to fill those gaps with the requisite details through expert commentaries and analysis, according to the site’s objective.
Renowned journalist and author Syed Badrul Ahsan is the blog site’s Chief Editorial Advisor.
An interactive session was held at the launch, well-attended by the country’s senior journalists from leading local and international media outlets, who also stressed the need for such platforms that can bring insightful perspectives in policy discourse.
“We are happy to welcome articles that seek to bring in fresh perspectives into even contested issues,” said Barrister Farhad.
Somoyer Alo Executive Editor Harun Ur Rashid, who is also a correspondent of DW Bangla, said, “It is important to have such platforms to offer space for policy debates,” – pointing out a lack of such initiatives.
Gazi Nasiruddin Khokon, who held senior ranks in prominent national media outlets, said that this initiative deserves attention but also advocated for strong adherence to a set of principles.
Absence of such platforms often lead to the rise of speculation-driven narrative on certain policy issues as often relevant experts are not even quoted and disinformation reigns supreme, added Nurul Islam Hasib, a senior journalist.
Visit the blog: https://theconfluence.blog/
Education Minister seeks media’s support to advance education
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Tuesday sought the media’s support in advancement of the country's education sector.
She sought this from journalists while addressing an iftar event organised by the Education Reporters Association, Bangladesh (ERAB) at a hotel in the capital as the chief guest.
The minister said, "Our education family is one of the partners in the progress of Bangladesh under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter."
She said, "We want our journalist friends to be with us at every stage of our progress in the education sector."
"We hope that journalists are alongside us and will be with us and they will be objective and positive in all cases," she continued.
ERAB President Mir Mohammad Jasim presided over the event which was moderated by its General Secretary Faruque Hossain.
University Grants Commission (UGC) members Prof Dr Muhammad Alamgir, Prof Dr Biswajit Chanda, National University Vice-Chancellor Prof Moshiur Rahman, North South University VC Prof Atiqul Islam, Samakal Editor Mozammel Hossain, National Press Club General Secretary Shyamal Dutta, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Director General Prof Nehal Ahmed, Dhaka Education Board Chairman Prof Tapan Kumar Sarkar, National Curriculum and Textbook Board Chairman Prof Farhadul Islam, Madrasah Education Board Chairman Prof Kaiser Ahmed also spoke, among others.
Apart from this, Dhaka University Professor Tofail Ahmed Chowdhury, Professor Dr Mizanur Rahman, UGC Director M Omar Faruk, Journalist Borhanul Haque Samrat, Advisor to the Board of Trustees of Southeast University ANM Meshkat Uddin, Member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Scholars, Abdul Hasib Siddique, Education Engineering Department chief engineer Delwar Hossain Majumdar, General Secretary of the shadinata Shikkok Parishad Principal Shahjahan Alam Saju were also present at the event.