United News of Bangladesh

Kamrul Ahsan, professor of the Department of Philosophy at Jahangirnagar University, has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university. The appointment was made by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, also the chancellor of the university. Education Adviser urges people to stop forced resignation, harassment of teachers The Ministry of Education issued a notification in this regard on Thursday. According to the notification, during this time he would be entitled to emoluments equal to the existing post. Prof Sayema Haque Bidisha appointed pro-VC of Dhaka University Prof Ahsan will enjoy other benefits attached to the post as per rules.

Education and Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Tuesday urged all concerned to refrain from forcing teachers to quit and harassing them. He said it has been observed that incidents of forcing teachers to resign and various forms of harassment are still continuing in educational institutions across the country, which is absolutely unacceptable. “Such activities must be refrained from.” He made the call during a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Education at the Secretariat. The Education Adviser said the authorities concerned will investigate the allegations of corruption and misconduct against any teachers and officials and take action. “The administration of educational institutions has been instructed to take action against those who violate discipline,” he said. Instructions have already been given to the local administration to address any illegal and criminal activities, said the adviser adding, “Students must protect the peaceful environment of their respective educational institutions in their own interest.”

Professor Sayema Haque Bidisha, professor in the Department of Economics of Dhaka University, has been appointed as the pro-vice chancellor (administration) of the university for four years. The appointment was made by President Muhammed Shahabuddin, also the chancellor of the university. The ministry of education issued a notification to this end on Monday. According to the notification, during this time she would be entitled to emoluments equal to the existing post. She will enjoy other benefits attached to the post as per rules and would be permanently stayed in the university campus. The order was issued in public interest, read the notification. Prof Sayema Haque completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from DU, followed by an MSc from the University of Bath, UK, and a PhD in Labour Economics from the University of Nottingham, UK. She also contributed in preparing various policy documents and government flagship objects. Prof Sayema has worked with various international and UN agencies. She has published a good number of scholarly publications including journal articles, book chapters and scientific reports.

All five teachers of the Cox’s Bazar Nursing Institute were compelled to resign on Sunday night amid students’ demonstration seeking their resignation for alleged corruption. Students at Cox's Bazar Nursing Institute confined the teachers to a washroom and demanded their resignation citing various allegations, including irregularities, corruption, and misappropriation of funds. Earlier, on Sunday afternoon students of the nursing institute began their protest. They confined five teachers and eleven students to a washroom. Later, two resident medical officers from Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, Dr. GRM Jihadul Islam and Dr. Ashiqur Rahman, an Additional District Magistrate, the army, and RAB arrived. After nearly three hours of discussion with teachers and students, all the teachers resigned. Dr. Jihadul Islam said that after hours of discussion, the teachers agreed to step down. As a result, the institution now faces a complete lack of teaching staff, he said. Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) will determine how to resolve this crisis and the superintendent of Sadar Hospital and the Additional District Magistrate will write letters to address the issue, he added.

Newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the National University Professor ASM Amanullah has ordered the teachers, officers and employees of the university and all its affiliated colleges and institutions to be present at their respective workplaces by September 1, 2024. Departmental action will be taken against those who will be found absent, he warned. Earlier on Wednesday, the education ministry issued a circular appointing him as the vice-chancellor of National University.

The Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) got its first female director with the appointment of Prof. Dr. Masuma Habib. The appointment was made during a meeting held at the IQAC conference room on Wednesday at 12pm. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Md. Shaheed Reza from the Department of Fisheries Technology and Prof. Dr. Murad Ahmed Farukh from the Department of Environmental Science have been appointed as additional directors.

The students of Jahangirnagar University on Wednesday staged demonstration protesting the sexual harassment of female students on the campus. They brought out a procession from the foot of Shaheed Minar of the university and paraded a few roads and ended at the Battala of the campus. Later, the students held a short rally there. Talking to the students, it is known that a female student was sexually assaulted on the road adjacent to Khaleda Zia Hall on his way back to the hall last Sunday around 10:30 pm. 'Reform Bangladesh cricket': Rally in front of Mirpur Stadium demands The people involved in the crime could not be identified even after two days, they said. In today's rally, the students demanded installation of sufficient lamp posts on campus roads, iCCTV cameras at important gates and points and ensuring the safety of women students. In the gathering, student of Economics Department Prapti Taposhi said, “On August 25, one of our young sisters was harassed on her way to the hall. How weak our security system is that such a thing can happen on the streets of the hall! No CCTV cameras were found at the boundary gate to identify the oppressors. There were no security guards at the gates in the 20 miles area. After the victim student posted on Facebook, she came to know that one person was subjected to such sexual harassment last week as well. A similar incident happened in April. The students are now in extreme insecurity.”  

Saifuddin Ahmed, an associate professor in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University, has been appointed as the new proctor of the university. The university's registrar office issued a notification confirming the appointment on Wednesday. Following the resignation of the proctorial team on August 8, after the fall of the Hasina government, the positions of proctor and assistant proctors had remained unfilled. Saifuddin Ahmed has had a long career in academia, having previously taught at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), North-South University (NSU), and the University Of Asia Pacific (UAP) before joining Dhaka University. He also served as an assistant proctor at SUST. His academic contributions include four books and at least 17 journal articles, highlighting his scholarly and administrative capabilities. Prof Saifuddin emphasised the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders to foster a student-friendly campus. "We are committed to creating a student-friendly university environment and look forward to the support of all university stakeholders. Together, we will work towards this goal," he told UNB.

British High Commission in Dhaka has invited applications for the UK Government’s Chevening South Asian Journalism Fellowship. Applications for the UK Government's Chevening South Asian Journalism Fellowship (SAJP) are open from 6 August 2024 to 10 October 2024. The High Commission said prospective candidates can submit their applications via https://www.chevening.org/fellowship/sajp/ The Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship is aimed at mid-career journalists from South Asian countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The programme comprises eight intensive weeks of lectures, visits, and discussions that introduce SAJP fellows to key UK academics, media, and political figures in the field. They will also meet their peers in the UK’s top media organisations. The fellowship is fully funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and hosted by the University of Westminster. The programme offers an opportunity to explore the range of approaches taken by the UK and the South Asian region, and then use that knowledge to direct discussions that tackle the big issues challenging the field.

Students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet were forced to vacate their dormitories by Monday evening, following an ultimatum from local residents.  The residents issued the ultimatum based on allegations that members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were trying to create unrest on campus by occupying the dorms. On Tuesday afternoon, the coordinators of the student movement held a press briefing to clarify the situation. They stated that a misunderstanding had occurred between the local residents and the students. The coordinators emphasized that it was not the BCL members but rather regular students who were staying in the dorms. During the press briefing held at 2:30 pm on the SUST campus, central co-coordinator of the recently concluded student movement, Asadullah Al Galib, said that a rumor had spread on Facebook, claiming that BCL members had occupied the university dorms once again. This misinformation prompted local residents to gather on campus with sticks on Monday afternoon. They then issued an ultimatum, demanding that students vacate the dorms by 7 p.m. Despite efforts by the coordinators and university faculty members to explain the situation to the residents, the students were ultimately compelled to leave the dorms due to safety concerns. The coordinators expressed their concerns over the lack of security for students at an autonomous institution like SUST. The coordinators also accused the university administration of negligence, stating that the absence of a proper administration had allowed miscreants to frequently infiltrate the campus and conduct motorcycle showdowns, which have left students feeling unsafe and disturbed the university’s environment. To restore normalcy at the university, the coordinators urged the swift appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor and other administrative officials. Regarding the return of students to the dorms, Asadullah Al Galib mentioned that discussions would take place soon, and efforts would be made to reach a peaceful resolution. He emphasized that the students do not wish for any misunderstandings with the local residents, who had previously supported their movement to topple the authoritarian Hasina regime, a support they would never forget. The Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and all hall provosts of SUST resigned on August 10, amid growing protests against the 15-year rule of the Awami League government. Since then, the university has effectively been left without leadership.