United News of Bangladesh

Asian University for Women (AUW) celebrated the successful conclusion of its 2024 Summer School program with a closing ceremony on Tuesday at the AUW campus in Chattogram. The event was attended by guests, students, parents, media and representatives from Chevron Bangladesh. Chevron Bangladesh has been a key partner in AUW's Summer School initiative since its launch in 2019, helping to shape its development and success. This year, from June 27 to July 25, 89 outstanding female high school students from all around Bangladesh participated in the Summer School program, which offers an intense four-week curriculum. With guidance from a group of renowned local and international teachers, the curriculum provided a thorough examination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer coding, and public health. The purpose of the AUW Summer School is to improve students' abilities and knowledge in order to better equip them for their future academic work in STEM subjects. Students who participated in this year's program now have the knowledge and self-assurance to pursue professions in technology and investigative science as well as postsecondary education. Chevron Bangladesh representatives conveyed their excitement for the company's continued partnership with AUW and lauded the program's ability to encourage and mentor young women toward STEM professions. The concluding event was attended, among others, by Dr. Rubana Huq, AUW Vice Chancellor and Dr. Mohiuddin Ahsanul Kabir Chowdhury, Director of AUW Summer School. The ceremony was coordinated by Fatema Mehejabin and Ms. Sharna Biswas Eity, with Samia Jarin Ava serving as the event moderator. Among the students four of the girls got the “Emerging Woman Leader in STEM” award. They are Fahmida Kamal from Dhaka, Tahiya Muhaira from Dhaka, Chowdhury Abida Jannat from Sylhet, Shah Jafrin Sultana from Sylhet. The successful conclusion of this year's Summer School program reaffirms AUW's commitment to fostering academic excellence and empowering young women to lead in STEM fields, said a Chevron press release.  

The teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University held a silent march on the campus on Tuesday to protest the deaths during the quota reform protests last week. They gathered at the university's Shaheed Minar at 12 pm covering their mouths and eyes with red cloths as part of the previously announced programme of the anti-discrimination student movement. Later they brought out a procession on the campus.   

 Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury has said that the current situation is not conducive to reopening educational institutions. He said this during a meeting with university teachers today (Monday) in the conference room of the Ministry of Education regarding pension issues. When asked about the possibility of reopening educational institutions amid students protesting on the streets, he said that discussions need to be held with those responsible for this matter. "The situation does not allow for it at the moment. As you mentioned, a few have come out, but we do not have information on who or how many. We will inform you once we have the details," he said. When asked if there had been any discussion in the cabinet today about reopening primary schools, he said, "I will not comment on this now. Discussions that take place in the cabinet are not meant to be discussed outside."   Teachers from around 39 public universities in the country have been on an indefinite strike, halting classes and exams since July 1, demanding the withdrawal of the universal pension scheme. This movement was initiated by the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers' Associations. They have held a meeting with Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on this issue.

Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury held a meeting on Monday with a delegation of public university teachers to discuss the ‘Prottoy’ pension scheme. The meeting began at 4:30 pm in the conference room of the Ministry of Education. Prattay pension scheme: Muktijoddha Santan Command holds human chain at BAU At the outset of the meeting, responding to journalists’ questions, the education minister said, “We are going to have a meeting with the teachers. This is the beginning of the discussion. It is not possible to say what the next decision will be. We cannot decide here alone, as the Ministry of Finance and several other authorities are involved. Decisions will be taken after discussing here.” The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister’s adviser on education and culture Kamal Abdul Nasser Chowdhury, President of the Parliamentary Committee on Education Ministry and former Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, along with other officials of the ministry. Protesting Prattay Pension Scheme: Nationwide university teachers’ strike continues for fifth day Earlier, teachers from 39 public universities, under the banner of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association, went on strike from July 1, halting classes and exams to demand the cancellation of the ‘Prottoy’ pension scheme.

Teachers from various universities across Bangladesh, united under the banner of ‘Anti-Repression Teachers Rally,’ have called for an immediate end to the harassment of students as well as “mass arrests.” They also demanded the release of detained students. They expressed their solidarity with the ongoing student protests during a rally organized by the University Teachers Network at the base of Aparajeyo Bangla on the Dhaka University campus on Monday afternoon. The rally commenced with a minute of silence in memory of students who lost their lives in the recent quota reform movement. The teachers urged that the incidents of violence and deaths be termed as the “July Massacre.” DU urges law enforcers, other authorities not to harass innocent students Addressing the gathering, Dr. Saeed Ferdous, Professor of Anthropology at Jahangirnagar University, declared, “You view the students as your adversaries, but these students have come to transform Bangladesh. They are paving the way for a new history by challenging the systematic repression in educational institutions and state mechanisms over the past five decades since independence. We support every demand of the students.” Prof. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, former President of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Teachers Association, evoked historical parallels, saying, “In February 1969, Professor Shamsuzzoha became a martyr while protecting students. We, who have gathered here, are his successors. Our students fighting against inequality are the successors of the freedom fighters. History is guiding our actions, and we will fulfill our responsibilities.” Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Associate Professor of English at Jagannath University, criticized the police for filing cases against students and urged the authorities to cease these practices, reopen the universities, and allow students to return to their studies. Barishal University students demand end to police harassment, withdrawal of cases Other speakers included Dr. Rushad Faridi from Dhaka University’s Economics Department, Prof. Abdullah Harun Chowdhury from Khulna University’s Environmental Science, Syed Raza from BRAC University’s Law Department, Dr. Masud Imran from Jahangirnagar University's Archaeology Department, and Dr. Chowdhury Saima Ferdous from Dhaka University's International Business Department. Following the rally, the teachers marched to the Dhaka University Central Library and then returned to the base of Aparajeyo Bangla.

Dhaka University authorities have urged the law enforcement agencies and the others concerned to ensure that no innocent student is harassed amid the ongoing action against people involved in recent violence over quota reform movement reported in media. Barishal University students demand end to police harassment, withdrawal of cases The university administration has instructed the students to report to the Proctor's Office if they experiences harassment, said a press release signed by Mahmud Alam, director, public relations department of the university. The university assures that it will provide all possible assistance in such cases.

The Anti-discrimination Student Movement has announced their next course of action programme. Rifat Rashed, Abdul Hannan Masud and Mahin Sarker, 3 coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, held the briefing on Saturday evening, in the background of three of their fellow leaders of the movement having been picked up and taken into custody by police from hospital on Thursday. After the briefing it was learned that two more leaders had been picked up today. After the press briefing, coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud told UNB that all students including former social service secretary of DUCSU Akhtar Hossain who were picked by law enforcement agencies should be released and false cases should be withdrawn by tomorrow. Besides, visible action should be taken against all those responsible, from the ministerial level to the constable involved in the student massacre. If not, the anti-discrimination student movement will be forced to take a tough programme starting tomorrow, he added. According to Masud, graffiti and wall writing programs will be held tomorrow on walls across the country. From July 29, a 'Health Force' will be formed in every educational institution, district, upazila, and city-centered area across Bangladesh to prepare a complete list of the injured and dead, and provide psychological and financial support to the victims families. "As well as a 'Legal Force' to be formed to document numerous false and deliberate cases across the country and provide legal assistance to those who need it," he added In this case, the local unit will coordinate with the Central Committee of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, he further stated.

The students of Barishal University have placed a 4-point set of demands, including withdrawal of cases filed against students centring the quota reform movement and stopping police harassment. Sujoy Shuvo, coordinator of the quota reform movement at the university, made the demands in a press conference held on the ground floor of the university on Saturday afternoon. The four-point demands also include opening the university halls of residence immediately. The general public should not be harassed in the area adjacent to the university. Harassment should be stopped by sending law and order forces visiting the current and permanent addresses of the students. A safe and democratic environment should be ensured after the opening of the campus, in addition to holding student council elections quickly. "We have been peacefully protesting like ordinary students across the country since July 1 to demand reform of quotas for government jobs," said Shuvo. "Following our logical movement, the Court ruled in favour of quota reform. Besides, the executive branch of the government has issued a notification accordingly." However, the next program will be announced in coordination with their countrywide movement, including Dhaka, he added.

Police arrested 139 people including BNP and Jamaat activists in connection with the violence amid students’ protests demanding reform in  in government job quota in Sylhet. So far, police arrested 139 people till Saturday morning in 11 cases filed over clashes, vandalism and arson attacks carried out during the students’ demonstration for quota reform, said Mohammad Saiful Islam, deputy-commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (media). BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists were among the arrestees, he said. The cases were filed for assaulting police, obstructing police from performing duties under the Explosives Substances Act and the Special Powers Act. Six cases were filed in Kotwali police station, four in Jalalabad police station and one in Dakkhin Surma police station. The cases were filed against 244 unnamed people  and 16,015 named ones.        

 The administration of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) has provided financial assistance to the family of Abu Sayed, a student of the university's English department who is widely acknowledged to have been the first victim of the quota reform movement to have died in police firing. Abu Sayed was known to have been one of the movement's organisers in Rangpur. In death, he was to become one of its icons. A delegation from the university handed over a cheque of Tk 7.5 lakh to his parents on Friday. Proctor Shariful Islam said that under the directive of the Vice-Chancellor, the university administration has been in constant contact with Sayed’s parents. He also stated that this assistance would continue. Sayed's father said that Abu Sayed was the apple of his eye, and their family even relied on the money he made from private tutoring while completing his studies. "Losing a child is an unbearable grief, and the hardest thing as a father was to carry my son's dead body on my shoulders. Now, I only ask everyone to pray for my son," he told newsmen. He expressed that while they could not get their son back, having a job for a family member might help them manage better in their later years. He added that every day someone from the university has checked on them, and many people, both known and unknown, have been helping them. On July 16, Abu Sayed was killed in police firing during the quota reform movement. Not only was his the first reported death of a protester in police firing during the movement. A video of his apparent killing started doing the rounds on social media that very evening, and quickly went viral. What it showed only served to fuel greater outrage among the protesters, and was arguably the clincher to forming a judicial commission into the six deaths that occurred that day. The video showed a group of police converging on Sayed, who has seemingly broken away from the crowd and finds himself isolated on a side street in broad daylight, facing the police. He is gesturing defiantly, with his arms spread wide, egging them on almost, to take their best shot - the timeless gesture of the weak but unbowed towards the strong, of the rebel towards authority. Yet the most important thing to note here is that clearly unarmed, and on his own, Abu Sayed poses absolutely no threat to anyone, let alone the team of police approaching him - still a good 50-60 feet away. It is also worth remembering that at this point, the situation around the country is nowhere near the state of chaos witnessed later in the week. To reiterate, this is the first death in the movement, about to occur. You cannot excuse it on the pretext of 'the heat of the battle'. But unfathomably, as the camera pans towards the approaching officers, one of them - for no apparent reason - is seen casually firing off a shot, as if at target practice. He uses a shotgun, which fires pellets, so the impact of the ‘rubber bullet’ isn’t immediately clear, but Sayed can be seen feeling something on his left side, just below the ribs - it's on his upper body, so the chances of death or blindness increase significantly. As with most shotgun rounds, you don't see profuse bleeding, but soon the protester falls to the ground and has to be carried away. A student who took Sayed to the hospital, said, "Police were firing rubber bullets and tear gas at us. Sayed was hit in the chest and fell unconscious on the street. We took him to the hospital in a battery-run rickshaw. I tried to talk to him, but he did not respond." Abu Sayed was declared dead on arrival at Rangpur Medical College Hospital, at 3.05pm on Tuesday, July 16.