United News of Bangladesh

For the third consecutive day, students blocked Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection around 11:45 am today (July 04, 2024), protesting the High Court’s decision to reinstate the quota system in government jobs. Around 11 am, students from various halls of Dhaka University began gathering in front of the Central Library. They then marched through the campus, culminating in a massive rally at Shahbagh intersection. Protest against quota: Students block Shahbagh for 2nd day Some students reported that as they were leaving their halls to join the rally, activists from the Chhatra League at Masterda Surja Sen Hall locked the gate to prevent them from participating. However, the main procession proceeded to Surja Sen Hall, broke the lock, and freed the students to join the protest. Earlier, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the protesters had blocked major highways and intersections in the capital, demanding the cancellation of the quota system. Students block Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection in protest against quota system reinstatement During the rally, protesters declared their determination, saying, if needed, they will shed blood to realize their demand. Earlier today, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the High Court order declaring the cancellation of the freedom fighter quota in government jobs as “illegal.”

Teachers, administration officers, and other employees of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), like many of their colleagues throughout the country, are demonstrating to demand the cancellation of the "Prottoy Scheme" under the government's Universal Pension Scheme. Simultaneously, students blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway on Wednesday, demanding quota reforms. From 12:00 PM, protesters held sit-ins across the Agricultural Faculty corridors. The BAU Teachers' Association, led by Acting President Dr Mohammad Saidur Rahman, rejected the Finance Minister's statements on the "Prottoy Scheme." They vowed to continue the movement until a better pension scheme is introduced. Earlier this year the government introduced a new scheme named "Prottoy" under the UPS for newly-recruited (from July 1, 2024) employees of autonomous, state-owned, statutory, and their subordinate bodies. The BAU Officer Parishad also demanded the withdrawal of the "Prottoy Scheme" from autonomous institutions. Officer Parishad’s President Arif Jahangir called for a uniform policy and the resolution of officers' scale issues, rejecting any discrimination. The 3rd Class Employees Parishad, 4th Class Employees' Association, and Karigori Karmachari Samity held a half-day work abstention and burned an effigy of the Finance Minister. Md. Mosarrof Hossain, president of the 3rd Class Employees Parishad, announced a full-day work abstention for Thursday, with the university library and administrative buildings to remain closed.  In another protest, students held a rally starting in front of the Mukto Moncho in front of the Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium, demanding the cancellation of the quota system in government jobs. They blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, saying that only quotas for the disabled and small ethnic groups are necessary. The students remarked even after 53 years of independence, the quota system cannot exist like this. They also stated that the field of talent should be equal. "If talented people are unemployed, the country will go backwards. Equality in recruitment to government jobs is a fundamental constitutional right of all. Now, the attempt to bring back the old quota system will disrupt the way to get this basic right." Prof. Dr Azharul Islam, a proctor of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), said the students blocked the railway but now the situation is normal.

Five Bangladeshi universities have earned spots among the world’s top institutions for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the US News and World Report, a prominent American media company renowned for its rankings and analyses. The universities featured are: Dhaka University, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Jahangirnagar University, and Bangladesh Agricultural University. These rankings were published on the US News website on June 24, updated on June 25. Dhaka University leads the Bangladeshi institutions, ranking 560th globally and 146th in Asia. Rajshahi University follows, positioned at 1,076th globally and 342nd in Asia. BUET is ranked 1,396th globally and 488th in Asia, while Jahangirnagar University stands at 1,414th globally and 500th in Asia. Bangladesh Agricultural University rounds out the list at 1,775th globally and 689th in Asia. This year's rankings feature 2,250 top universities from over 100 countries, an increase from the previous list which included 2,000 institutions from 90 countries. Ranking Criteria The rankings are based on 13 indicators, each contributing a percentage to the final score. These factors include: - Global research reputation (12.5%) - Regional research reputation (12.5%) - Publications (10%) - Books (2.5%) - Conferences (2.5%) - Normalized citation impact (10%) - Total citations (7.5%) - Number of highly cited papers (12.5%) - Percentage of highly cited papers (10%) - International collaboration (5%) - Comparative international collaboration by country (5%) - Top 1% cited research articles (5%) - Percentage of top 1% cited publications (5%) In the 2022-23 rankings, only two Bangladeshi universities were listed: Dhaka University ranked 977th globally and 263rd in Asia, while BUET was included but not ranked. Top Global Universities Harvard University tops the global list this year, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, the University of Oxford, and the University of California, Berkeley. Among Asian universities, China has 422 institutions featured, India has 140, and Pakistan has 32.

Students of different universities and colleges of Dhaka blocked Shahbagh intersection for the 2nd day on Wednesday protesting the reinstatement of quota system in government jobs. Several thousand students from Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Dhaka College, Eden College, and other colleges joined the demonstration that disrupted transport movement at Shahbagh and adjacent areas. Strike against Prattay scheme: Obaidul Quader to sit with teachers Thursday People from all walks of life suffered immensely due to traffic gridlock caused by disruption in vehicular movement in the busy area.

The indefinite strike by teachers and employees of public universities continues for the third consecutive day today, demanding their exclusion from the ‘Prattay’ pension scheme. The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association called for a boycott of classes, examinations, and administrative work starting Monday, protesting the implementation of Prattay, a new pension scheme introduced by the National Pension Authority. The announcement was made during a press conference on Dhaka University campus. Students block Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection in protest against quota system reinstatement

Dhaka July 2 (UNB) - The Marketing Department of Dhaka University (DU) celebrated its 50th anniversary with various programmes. The celebration commenced on Monday at the Faculty of Business Studies premises, inaugurated by DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. ASM Maksud Kamal. The event, marking 50 years of the department's establishment, was attended by distinguished guests including Prof Dr ABM Shahidul Islam, Chairman of the Marketing Department Prof Dr. Mijanur Rahman and President of the Marketing Alumni Association and Convenor of MIB Faruk Ahmed Talukder. Besides, the faculty members, including Prof Dr Razia Begum, Prof Dr Samir Kumar Sheel, Prof Dr Serajul Haque, and Prof Dr Rafiuddin Ahmed, also spoke at the programme highlighting the department's rich history and promising future. During the inauguration, Dr ASM Maksud Kamal said Bangladesh has achieved unprecedented success in recent years.  “We must work collectively to achieve national and international goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the vision of a developed and prosperous Bangladesh by 2041. Marketing knowledge is crucial in global branding, and you must make significant contributions in this field." The celebration kicked off with a ceremonial cake cutting, followed by a colourful rally that ended after parading the campus. As part of the festivities, the students of the department organised a captivating cultural programme on the department premises. This jubilee celebration, which commenced on July 1, will feature a series of programs and events spanning the next four months. The festivities will end with a grand closing ceremony on November 9. END/UNB/ARJ/FH/1956 Hrs

On April 9, 2013, BUET student Mesbahuddin, reportedly influenced by the sermons of a radical imam, brutally attacked fellow student Arif Raihan Dwip inside a campus dormitory in broad daylight. Dwip, a passionate anti-war crimes activist and leader of the Bangladesh Student League’s (BSL) BUET unit, succumbed to his injuries after fighting for his life for over 70 days. Marking the anniversary, former and current BUET students paid tribute at a memorial at Nazrul Islam Hall on campus. On social media, BSL leaders and activists expressed their frustration and anger at the lack of justice for the perpetrators and masterminds behind the attack. They called the assault a systematic effort to weaken the student body. Standing for justice and demanding war crimes trials cost Dwip his life, speakers at the memorial said. He was attacked by radical forces defending war criminals, merely for echoing the cries of millions affected by the 1971 atrocities, they added. Friends, seniors, and family members of Dwip continue to face vilification. Over the years, platforms like Basherkella, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir have glorified Dwip’s killer while vilifying Dwip himself, they said. In recent months, amid increased efforts by the outlawed Hizb ut-Tahrir to recruit students, Dwip’s killer has been branded a “hero,” while Dwip has been labelled an “enemy of Islam.” The Sector Commanders Forum previously condemned efforts by Jamaat and its student wing, Shibir, to glorify war criminals and smear those advocating for war crimes trials. Former BUET student and BSL leader Tonmoy Ahmed, now ALBD Web Team coordinator, was also attacked by Shibir activists, he says. He continues to face vilification, he says. A decade has passed, yet Mesbahuddin remains free, despite having confessed to the killing under the imam’s provocation. He was arrested but later released on bail, much to the dismay of Dwip's peers and family. During the peak of the war crimes trial in 2013, Dwip was active in Ganajagaran Mancha, which spearheaded the call for justice against war criminals. Islamist parties, including Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami, branded participants of the movement as “enemies of Islam.” The lack of justice only emboldens radical elements and perpetuates a culture of impunity, said Dwip’s friends.

In response to the High Court's decision to reinstate the quota system in government jobs, students from several universities and colleges jointly blocked Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection. Barisal University students block highway protesting quota reinstatement  Earlier in the day, around 2:45 pm, students from Dhaka University staged a protest rally in front of the Central Library. The group marched to the Raju Sculpture on campus before proceeding to Shahbagh to join other demonstrators. Students to stage demonstration on July 3, 4 against quota reinstatement Thousands of students from Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Dhaka College, Eden College, and other nearby institutions participated in the protest. They shouted slogans against the quota system, demanding its cancellation in government job recruitment.

Students of Barisal University (BU) blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway for an hour on Tuesday protesting restoration of quota system in government jobs. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck on both sides of the highway as the students put up blockade from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Earlier, the students held a protest rally and procession for the second day at the university gate in the morning. The agitated students demanded the cancellation of all quotas in government jobs except those for people with disability and ethnic groups. Speakers said that the quota system is a curse for the general students. Some people benefit from the quota facility while general students are deprived of jobs based on merits, they said. Therefore, all quotas except the two should be abolished immediately. Otherwise, the movement will continue, the students said. Abdur Rahman Mukul, officer-in-charge of Bandar Police Station of Barishal Metropolitan Police, said the students blocked the highway but the situation is now normal.  

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations scheduled for Tuesday  in Fulgazi and Parshuram upazilas of Feni district have been postponed due to heavy rains and flooding. Deputy Commissioner of Feni Musammat Shahina Akhter confirmed the postponement on Tuesday morning. Low-lying areas of Fulgazi and Parshuram upazilas have been flooded as the embankment of the Muhuri River breached due to heavy rains and onrush of water from upstream in India. HSC exams to be scheduled earlier from next year : Mohibul The examination of Bangla second paper was scheduled to be held today. HSC examinations are being held at four centres in Phulgazi and two centers in Parshuram.