United News of Bangladesh

Saraswati Puja-1432 has been celebrated with befitting verve and grandeur at Dhaka University, attracting a large number of devotees. The festivities at Jagannath Hall kicked off with the worship of Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge and the arts, on Friday. From the morning, thousands of devotees from diverse walks of life were seen participating in various rituals, including offering flowers at the goddess's feet and performing Bani Archona. This year, various departments and institutions of the university have set up a total of 76 puja mandaps at the Jagannath Hall playground. Additionally, separate celebrations have been organised at the female halls. Cultural and recreational activities were arranged at Jagannath Hall. Devotees believe that on the fifth day of the month of Magh, Debi Saraswati, symbolising truth, justice, and knowledge, arrives in the world riding a white swan. On this day, Hindus across the country observe worship to honour the goddess. The organisers said that the Jagannath Hall has historically upheld a tradition of religious harmony and cultural inclusivity, and the Saraswati Puja is celebrated in a manner that respects all faiths and communities. DU philosophy department student and Jagannath Hall resident Sajon Sarker said, "This puja is organized in our hall every year with great pomp. We want this trend to continue forever. Our wish in this puja is that we can build a harmonious Bangladesh."

Saraswati Puja, the worship of the goddess of knowledge, arts and music for followers of Sanatan Dharma, is being celebrated at Jagannath University in a grand and festive atmosphere. The puja formally began on Friday (January 23) at 8:30am on the university campus and is still ongoing. This year, 37 out of the university’s total 39 departments have organized Saraswati Puja in separate pandals. According to sources, every year the worship of Goddess Saraswati is held on the fifth day (Shukla Panchami) of the lunar month of Magh, following traditional rituals. The puja begins with the invocation of the goddess and concludes with floral offerings (Pushpanjali) and the distribution of prasad. Smriti, a student of the English Department who participated in the puja, said, “We are celebrating this day with great joy. We have also invited friends from other religious communities and they have joined us. We are eating together and enjoying the moment,it feels wonderful.” Another student from the Bangla Department, Hriday Roy, said, “Goddess Saraswati is the deity of knowledge, music and arts. Through this puja every year, we pray to be educated with true learning and to awaken the hidden talents within us.” Tatini Roy Tithi, a student of the History Department, said, “This is the only day of the year when we worship Goddess Saraswati. We pray so that we can pursue knowledge properly throughout the year. I am really enjoying such a joyful environment on campus.” Rabindranath Mondal, president of the Puja Committee, said, “Since morning, this year’s Saraswati Puja has been celebrated in a very grand manner with the combined participation of teachers, students, and staff. As the president of the Puja Committee, I would like to especially thank the Proctorial Body and the JnU Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU) Committee for their overall cooperation. In particular, the support of JnUCSU Cultural Secretary Takrim is highly commendable.” After visiting the puja mandaps, Vice-Chancellor of Jagannath University Professor Rezaul Karim said, “Saraswati Puja is being celebrated with great grandeur and enthusiasm among the students. I have visited every mandap. Congratulations to all Sanatani students. To ensure a more elaborate celebration, we have increased the budget this year compared to last year.”

Students of Narail Nursing College on Thursday confined the principal and an instructor to the principal’s office alleging corruption and indecent behaviour. The students formed a human chain and staged a protest on the college premises around 10am bringing a series of allegations against Principal Afroza Khatun. The allegations include embezzlement of mess funds, use of rude language against students, misappropriation of funds allocated by the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), manipulation of formative marks and issuing threats to students. Later, the protesting students confined Principal Afroza Khatun and instructor Reksona Parveen to the principal’s room. During the protest, the students demanded the resignation of the two officials, proper accountability for the alleged corrupt practices and the return of all embezzled money. At one stage, the students produced resignation letters, which were later signed by the two officials. However, the students refused to allow them to leave, insisting that they would remain confined until fair accountability is ensured and the alleged misappropriated money is returned. Principal Afroza Khatun, however, denied all the allegations brought against her. On information, police rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Necessary legal action will be taken, said Md Oli Mia, Officer-in-Charge of Narail Sadar Police Station.  

Jagannath University (JnU) authorities have decided to hold classes online from February 26 to March 9 In observance of the holy month of Ramadan, The decision was announced in a notice signed by Acting Registrar Professor Dr. Md. Sheikh Gias Uddin on Wednesday. According to the notice, the decision was taken at the 76th meeting of the Academic Council of Jagannath University held on January 15. Shibir-backed panel sweeps top posts in Jagannath University students’ union elections As per the decision, all undergraduate and postgraduate classes of the university will be conducted online during the period.

The results of the first-year undergraduate admission test of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) for the 2025–26 academic year have been published. A total of 40,390 candidates have been placed on the merit list across five sub-units under two units, said Professor Mohammad Selim, member secretary of the SUST admission committee. He said that among the 42,600 examinees in Unit A-1, 29,737 were placed on the merit list. The highest score in this unit was 96.6 percent, while the lowest was 40 percent. In Unit A-2, 924 candidates appeared in the test, of whom 178 secured positions on the merit list. In the science branch of Unit B, 4,938 out of 8,553 examinees were placed on the merit list. The highest score in this branch was 79.6 percent and the lowest was 40 percent. In the humanities branch of Unit B, 4,628 candidates were placed on the merit list from among 7,931 examinees. The highest score was 82 percent and the lowest was 40 percent. Meanwhile, in the commerce branch of Unit B, 909 out of 1,778 candidates secured places on the merit list. The highest score in this branch was 78.4 percent, while the lowest was 40.02 percent. Professor Selim said Naqib Mukarram topped Unit A-1, while Plabon Das secured the highest score in Unit A-2. In Unit B, Zarin Sobha Alam topped the science branch, Farhan Saeed Kolpo the humanities branch, and Parthib Roy the commerce branch. University authorities said the admission process schedule will be finalised at the upcoming Academic Council meeting, likely to be held on January 28, 2026.

The admission test results for the ‘B’ Unit (Faculty of Arts, Law, and Social Sciences) undergraduate programs at Dhaka University (DU) for the 2025–2026 academic year have been published on Tuesday, with a pass rate of 7.29%. The results were announced by the university administration (Jan 20) at 5:00 pm. This year, 107,712 candidates applied for 2,934 seats, and 103,611 appeared for the test. Among them, 7,553 candidates passed, including 4,109 from the Humanities group, 2,981 from Science, and 463 from Business Studies. The tests of five candidates were canceled. The admission test was held on Dec 13, 2025. The top scorers were: Mohammad Shahriar Shimul from Humanities, Rifat Al Rafi from Science, Mohammad Abir Ahmed Rohan from Business Studies. Detailed results are available at admission.eis.du.ac.bd. Candidates can also check results via SMS by sending: DU ALS <roll no> to 16321 from Grameenphone, Banglalink, or Teletalk numbers. Next Steps for Successful Candidates: Successful candidates are required to fill in the detailed form and submit their subject preferences between 3:00 PM on January 27 and 3:00 PM on February 5. Applicants applying under quotas must collect and complete the relevant forms from the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Social Sciences within the first five days of February and submit them in the same period. Those wishing to apply for result rechecking can do so at the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Social Sciences from January 21 to 27 upon payment of the required fee.

The central student union (SUCSU) and hall union elections of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) were not held on Tuesday, following a decision of the High Court a day earlier. In a notice signed by Chief Election Commissioner for the election, Dr. Abul Mukit Mohammad Moqaddesh, issued on Tuesday, the commission stated that following the court’s decision and in accordance with SUCSU regulations, the next steps regarding a new date for the election will be announced later by the university’s vice-chancellor. Earlier, the notice mentioned that all preparations for the elections had been completed with the cooperation of the SUCSU Election Commission and the university administration. However, following a writ petition on Monday (Jan 19) filed by three of the candidates, the High Court stayed the 2025 SUCSU and hall union elections for four weeks. An application for reconsidering was filed with the Chamber Judge’s Court, but remains unheard. As a result, despite being fully prepared, the elections could not be held on the scheduled date.

Security will be tightened ahead of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) central student union (SUCSU) election scheduled for January 20. Assistant Proctor Professor Dr. Saiful Islam said this at a views-exchange meeting at the Proctor’s  Office on Sunday. To ensure maximum security during the election over 300 members of the police and the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) will be deployed, he said. Special teams will be stationed at the main gate, pocket gates, and other key areas on the campus. SUCSU Elections: Final candidate list published He also said that no vehicles will be allowed on campus except rickshaws, autos, and cars with university stickers. A medical team will remain active throughout the election.

The Ministry of Education has finalised the draft ordinance for the establishment of the proposed Dhaka Central University and forwarded it to the Cabinet Division on Sunday completing all the procedural steps at the Secondary and Higher Education Division. In a statement, the ministry said the ordinance is expected to get approval soon. Before finalising the ordinance, the ministry conducted several key steps, including gathering opinions from relevant ministries and departments, publishing the draft online for public feedback, holding discussions with teachers, students, and civil society members, and consulting experts.  Prof Yunus calls for shift from job-focused education in South Asia The ministry said the Secondary and Higher Education Division ensured the draft reflected reasonable expectations and addressed concerns while setting a framework for quality education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The division kept the public informed of progress through regular press releases. Officials noted that establishing a sustainable, world-class university requires careful planning and phased structural reforms, as any disorder at any stage could disrupt the initiative. The ministry appealed to all stakeholders to refrain from activities that could create public inconvenience or unrest, warning that emotional or destabilizing incidents could undermine years of effort. The ministry expressed confidence that continued patience and cooperation would soon pave the way for the official launch of Dhaka Central University, marking a new milestone in Bangladesh’s higher education sector. Infrastructure, education projects worth over Tk 190cr get govt nod The ordinance comes after weeks of protests by students from seven major colleges in the city— Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnesa Mohila College, Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul College, Govt. Bangla College, and Govt Titumir College—who demanded a separate Dhaka Central University. Earlier, the first draft had faced criticism from students, prompting revisions. The revised plan preserves the individual identity of each college while integrating them under a structure similar to the National University. The seven colleges have long been at the center of administrative and affiliation disputes. In 2017, they were shifted from National University to Dhaka University without adequate preparation. In January 2025, they were again separated from Dhaka University, creating further complications before the new university could be formally established. Following student demands, the government decided to form a new university incorporating all seven colleges while maintaining their distinct identities.  

A father allegedly strangled his daughter to death at Char Basanti Purba Para village of Nakla Upazila in Sherpur on Sunday. The deceased was Morium, 7, daughter of Babu Mia. His another daughter Mim Akter, aged three and a half years, was admitted  to Sherpur District Hospital with injuries on neck. Nakla Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ripon Chandra Gop said being informed by locals Morium’s body was recovered from the spot. Police arrested Babu Mia when he was trying to flee, he said. Initial investigations indicate that Babu locked into an altercation with his wife Hasina Begum over family feud and at one stage he strangled Morium to death, said OC (Investigation) Abul Kashem. The father also attacked younger daughter Mim, leaving her injured. Local people have expressed deep grief and demanded strict punishment for the killer.