United News of Bangladesh

Participants at a roundtable discussion on Wednesday called for collective action to bridge the education-to-employment divide to ensure more productive workforce, higher economic growth, and improved individual well-being. They suggested forging strategic partnerships and offering innovation funding and in-kind support from both public and private sectors for bridging the gap. They were speaking at the high-level roundtable discussion titled “From Classrooms to Careers: Strengthening Bangladesh’s Future” organised by SAJIDA Foundation at a hotel in the capital. While presiding over the discussion, SAJIDA Foundation Chairperson Farooq Sobhan, also a former diplomat, said Bangladesh has lagged behind many countries, whose economy was once weaker than Bangladesh’s, only because of low quality of education. He said, “Bangladesh was once ahead of four Asian countries – China, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam – but they all have surpassed us. The main reason [behind their progress] is education. It was quality education and education for all.” “We can do it in Bangladesh. But there are many challenges that we need to overcome. We need to take a holistic approach for enhancing the quality of education,” he added calling all stakeholders to work together for quality education. The roundtable brought together government policymakers, business leaders, academics, and development partners to discuss how Bangladesh can better align education with the needs of a rapidly changing economy. In her opening remarks, Zahida Fizza Kabir, CEO of SAJIDA Foundation, highlighted that Bangladesh stands at a critical crossroads with one of the world’s youngest populations. “Our youth are our greatest asset, only if we equip them with the skills and mindsets needed for the future. If education does not keep pace with today’s realities, our demographic dividend could easily turn into a demographic burden,” she said. Sal Khan, Founder of Khan Academy, spoke at the event virtually. He emphasised the transformative power of technology in democratising education. “When students are given access to high-quality learning tools and teachers are empowered to personalise instruction, transformation happens at scale. Bangladesh has the potential to lead this change by combining innovation, inclusivity, and the dedication of its educators,” he said. He commended the early success of Khan Academy Bangladesh, calling it “an inspiring example of how local partnerships and global collaboration can reimagine education systems for the future.” The progress of a pilot project run by Khan Academy Bangladesh was presented at the roundtable, which shows that across 31 pilot schools and 5,342 students, learners on average demonstrated a ninefold increase in learning mastery and a sixfold rise in engagement. While presenting the progress Azwa Nayeem, CEO of Khan Academy Bangladesh and Strategy Lead for Education at SAJIDA Foundation, said teachers at the schools are now using data and digital tools to tailor instruction to each student’s needs. “The results show that transformation is not only possible, it is happening when teachers are empowered and supported with the right tools,” she added. Participants shared insights on how the private and public sector could collaborate to make education more relevant to the 21st-century workforce.

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) staged a sit-in on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the immediate announcement of elections for the Shahjalal University Central Students' Union (SUCSU). A group of students began their demonstration in front of the university’s administrative building around 3pm. During the protest, they chanted slogans such as “Administration, give us SUCSU — or admit it’s a farce,” “SUCSU is our right, no one can deny it,” and “Administration beware, SUCSU in November.” Protesters said they have repeatedly placed peaceful demands before the administration for holding the long-overdue SUCSU elections. Despite verbal assurances from university authorities, no concrete steps have been taken so far. “We’ve made it clear — we will not accept any more excuses,” said one of the student protesters. Shahjalal University revises SUCSU constitution, sets 23 central and 9 hall council posts Earlier, on October 19, the students formed a human chain and gave the administration a 48-hour ultimatum to announce a roadmap for the SUCSU election. However, the deadline expired without any response from the authorities, prompting the latest round of protests.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday sent Srishanto Roy, an Electrical and Engineering Department (EEE) student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), in a case filed under the Cyber Security Act. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ehsanul Islam passed the order when police produced him before the court seeking jail. The court also fixed Thursday for the next hearing. Earlier on Tuesday, some students of BUET staged demonstrations demanding punishment of Sreeshanto Roy for sexually harassing a classmate. Allegations have been brought against Shreeshanto for hurting ‘religious sentiment’ and cyberbullying. A security guard of the university on Wednesday filed a case against him with Chwakbazar Police Station on charge of sexual harassment, making indecent comments about girls on social media platform and hurting religious sentiment. After getting a complaint, police arrested him on Wednesday.

The government is set to proceed with printing, binding and distributing 12.53 crore free textbooks for secondary students in the 2026 academic session. The Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) on Wednesday gave approval to three major procurement proposals placed by the Secondary and Higher Education Division. Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed virtually chaired the meeting of the committee held at Bangladesh Secretariat. According to official sources, the proposals cover the printing of textbooks for students of classes six, seven and eight across secondary schools, Dakhil madrasas and technical education institutions — in both Bangla and English versions. For the Class Six textbooks, the total estimated procurement cost stands at Tk 137.87 crore, under which a total of 4.36 crore copies will be printed by 77 selected firms out of 98 bids submitted. Similarly, for the Class Seven textbooks, the government plans to spend Tk 150.01 crore to print 4.15 crore copies, to be produced by 91 firms chosen from among 100 bidders. Meanwhile, the Class Eight textbooks will involve a printing contract worth Tk 156.92 crore, covering 4.02 crore copies to be printed by 90 firms, also selected through a competitive bidding process. Govt committee approves over 5.5 core copies of school textbooks All three proposals were placed by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, which will also implement the projects. Upon scrutiny, the committee reviewed the cost structures, tendering process, and volume of work for each grade before recommending the proposals for approval. Every year, the government prints and distributes millions of free textbooks to schoolchildren across the country to ensure access to education and prevent dropouts. The timely printing and distribution of these books ahead of each academic year remains a key priority for the Ministry of Education. Officials said the recommendations are expected to be forwarded to the Cabinet for final approval soon, paving the way for printing to commence so that all students can receive their new textbooks on the first day of the 2026 academic year.

The government has further raised the house rent allowance for teachers and staff of non-government educational institutions enlisted under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) with effect from November 1 amid protests. The hike will be implemented in two phases. According to an official order, the allowance will be set at 7.5 percent of the basic salary (with a minimum of Tk 2,000) from 1 November 2025 while another 7.5 percent increase, bringing the total to 15 percent of the basic salary (minimum Tk 2,000)—will take effect from 1 July 2026. The Finance Division gave its consent to the rise despite the government’s existing budgetary limitations. Earlier, the government had approved a 5 percent (minimum Tk 2,000) increase in house rent allowance for MPO teachers and staff. The decision was, however, rejected by the teachers and staff who continued their protest demanding a higher increase. Education Adviser hopes protesting MPO teachers will return to classes The MPO teachers and staff started staging demonstrations from October 12 to press for three demands, including the house rent hike. According to the office order, the enhanced benefits must comply with relevant MPO policies, including the Non-Government Educational Institution (School and College) Manpower Structure and MPO Policy 2021, Madrasah MPO Policy 2018 (amended up to 23 November 2020), and Vocational, Business Management, Agriculture and Fisheries Diploma MPO Policy 2018 (amended up to 23 November 2020). It noted that the increase would not create any arrear claims for MPO-listed teachers and staff. All financial regulations must be strictly followed and any irregularities in expenditure will render the bill-approving authority liable. The order also directed the administrative ministry concerned to issue a government order (G.O.) and send four copies to the Finance Division for endorsement. Meanwhile, the Finance Division’s earlier circular has been cancelled with this new order.  

The mother of Mahir Rahman, a first-year student at Burhanuddin College, handed him over to Bangshal Police Station early Monday morning. Mahir is a suspect in the murder of a Jagannath University (JnU) student. Police said that Mahir’s mother appeared at the station at dawn on Monday (October 20) and surrendered him to law enforcement. As of now, no case has been officially filed in connection with the incident. Three people have been detained in connection with the murder, Lalbagh Zone Deputy Commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami, said on Monday evening (October 20). Suspect Mahir surrenders over JnU student murder He said, “In a special operation, we have so far detained three suspects. However, we will not disclose their identities at this moment for the sake of the investigation. We will brief the media in detail tomorrow morning.” On Sunday afternoon, Zubayed Hossain — a student of the Statistics Department (2019–20 session) and a member of the JnU Chhatra Dal convening committee — was murdered while tutoring in the Armanitola area of Dhaka. His bloodied body was recovered from a staircase inside a residential building. Around 1 pm on Monday, Zubayed’s body was brought from Mitford Hospital to the Jagannath University campus, where thousands of students gathered in mourning. His namaz-e-janaza was held at 1:45 pm in the presence of his father and other family members. Later, his body was taken to his hometown in Homna upazila of Cumilla district for burial. Meanwhile, police detained and questioned Zubayed’s tuition student, Nargis Shabnam Barsha, in connection with the case. JnU announces 2-day mourning over student Zobayed’s murder Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bangshal Police Station, said there had been a romantic relationship between Barsha and Mahir Rahman, who grew up as neighbours in Armanitola. Zubayed’s elder brother, Enayet Hossain Saikat, said that the family intends to file a case against Barsha, her parents, Mahir, and another individual named Nafis. However, he alleged that the OC discouraged naming too many individuals in the complaint, warning that it could weaken the case.

The body of Jubaed Hossain, a Jagannath University student from the 15th batch of the Department of Statistics, was recovered from the Armanitola area in Dhaka, on Sunday. Jubaed hailed from Homna upazila in Cumilla district. He was the President of the Cumilla District Student Welfare Association and also served as a Member of the Convening Committee of the JnU unit of the BNP student front Chhatra Dal. The incident occurred around 6 PM on Sunday (October 19) while he was reportedly on his way to give tuition. According to Rafiqul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bangshal Police Station, the body was found in a residence at Pani Pump Goli in Armanitola, where he used to teach. “He was killed by stabbing. The apartment was the place where he used to tutor students. The exact cause of death is yet to be determined. We are investigating the matter,” the OC said. Professor Dr. Muhammad Tajammul Haque, Proctor of Jagannath University, said, “We’ve heard about the death, but the cause is still unknown. It’s truly heartbreaking. I have instructed the police to review all CCTV footage. I’m heading to the spot myself.”

Education Adviser CR Abrar on Sunday expressed hope that the protesting the MPO-listed teachers will return to classrooms following the government’s announcement of a 5% house rent allowance based on their basic salary. “The Ministry of Education has always tried to safeguard the interests of teachers. And in that continuity the progress regarding house rent has been made,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat. “I believe academic activities have resumed in many areas and we expect it will fully normalise,” said the adviser. Govt approves 5pc house rent for MPO teachers The teachers and staff of non-government educational institutions under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme have been staging demonstrations across the country for the past several weeks, demanding a 20 percent house rent allowance based on their basic salary, a medical allowance of Tk 1,500 for both teachers and staff and an increase in the festival allowance for employees to 75 percent. Earlier in the day, the Finance Ministry issued an order approving a 5% house rent allowance (minimum Tk 2,000) for MPO-listed teachers and staff of non-government educational institutions, taking into account the limitations of the current national budget. The new allowance will be effective from November. However, protesting teachers have rejected the 5% allowance and declared they will continue their hunger strike and other protest programmes until their full demands are met.  

Protesting MPO-listed teachers on Sunday rejected the government-approved five percent house allowance and vowed to continue their movement day until their three-point demand is met. Meanwhile, a delegation from the protesting teachers is holding a meeting with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam at Gulshan residence of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia over the matter.  The teachers staging demonstration at the Central Shaheed Minar said they will march a protest procession towards the Jamuna if no positive results come from the meeting today (Sunday), said Alamgir Hossain, a protesting teacher came from Magura.   Earlier, on Sunday morning, the Ministry of Finance approved a five percent house rent allowance (minimum Tk 2,000) for the teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme. Govt approves 5pc house rent for MPO teachers The ministry’s Finance Division issued a letter to the secretaries of the Secondary and Higher Education Division and the Technical and Madrasa Education Division on Sunday, outlining six conditions for implementation. The new allowance will take effect from November 1. Currently, MPO-listed teachers and employees receive Tk 1,000 as house rent. Earlier, the Finance Division had agreed to raise it by Tk 500, but the Education Ministry withheld the order amid ongoing protests. Teachers have been demanding a 20 percent house rent allowance (minimum Tk 3,000) and are continuing their movement for the eighth consecutive day, now observing a hunger strike at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka. A few days ago, a delegation of protesting teachers met Education Adviser Prof CR Abrar, who had informed them of the government’s plan to increase the allowance by 5 percent, which they rejected.

The Ministry of Finance has approved a five percent house rent allowance (minimum Tk 2,000) for the teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme. The ministry’s Finance Division issued a letter to the secretaries of the Secondary and Higher Education Division and the Technical and Madrasa Education Division on Sunday, outlining six conditions for implementation. The new allowance will take effect from November 1. It specifies that the house rent must be adjusted according to the next national pay scale and that no arrears will be paid. Currently, MPO-listed teachers and employees receive Tk 1,000 as house rent. Earlier, the Finance Division had agreed to raise it by Tk 500, but the Education Ministry withheld the order amid ongoing protests. MPO-listed teachers, staff continue protest for 7th consecutive day Teachers have been demanding a 20 percent house rent allowance (minimum Tk 3,000) and are continuing their movement for the eighth consecutive day, now observing a hunger strike at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka. A few days ago, a delegation of protesting teachers met Education Adviser Prof CR Abrar, who had informed them of the government’s plan to increase the allowance by 5 percent, which they rejected.