United News of Bangladesh

At least 30 students fell ill after eating the mid-day meal at Maharajpur Government Primary School (Palashbari) in Baliadangi upazila of Thakurgaon on Thursday. Dr Md Sajib Mia, resident medical officer at Baliadangi Upazila Health Complex, said the students were admitted to the facility for treatment. According to school authorities and local residents, eggs were served as part of the mid-day meal. Shortly after eating, several students complained of stomach pain and began vomiting. The affected students were taken to the upazila health complex for treatment. Some guardians alleged that the eggs served to the students were spoiled. They called for an investigation into the incident and action against those responsible. Tonika Akter, a Class V student, said she developed stomach pain soon after eating the egg. "It did not taste right and seemed to have gone bad. Many students vomited at the school," she said. The incident comes just four days after around 50 students fell ill after drinking milk served as part of the mid-day meal at Madhupur Government Primary School in Charol Union of the same upazila on Monday. The recurrence has raised concerns over the quality and safety of school meals in the area. Atul Chandra Roy, Baliadangi upazila primary education officer, said the education office and local administration were monitoring the situation and taking necessary steps to ensure the students' recovery. Dr Nishat Roy, a medical officer at the health complex, said the students were brought in with stomach pain and vomiting. "They have received the necessary treatment. None of them is currently in critical condition," she said.  

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Thursday said Bangladesh can further strengthen its ties with China by drawing on its development experience, particularly in education, skills development, and emerging economic sectors. “China’s model is very important for Bangladesh’s development in areas such as technical and vocational education and training (TVET), artificial intelligence (AI), industry-academia linkage, and the blue economy,” he said. The Minister made these remarks while addressing an event at East West University in the capital to mark ‘Dhaka-China Day 2026’. He said the longstanding relationship between Bangladesh and China could be strengthened further through friendship, mutual trust, and the exchange of experience in education and development. He also said China’s experience could help Bangladesh develop skilled human resources and make the most of its demographic dividend. “Students are the future of our country. The nation is looking towards them, and we are working to equip them with the skills needed to build the Bangladesh of tomorrow,” he said. On industry-academia linkage, the Minister said China’s experience in connecting educational institutions with industries could be followed in Bangladesh. He said Dhaka Polytechnic Institute is being developed as a model based on such experience, while work is also underway to develop Chandpur Polytechnic Institute. The minister said the government was prioritising solar power and renewable energy and working on electric vehicles (EVs), green technology and modern transport systems. Bangladesh could also benefit from China’s experience in promising sectors such as robotics and the blue economy, he said. He also said the government is working to turn Bangladesh into an ‘education hub’ by introducing cross-border education and strengthening cooperation with international educational institutions to make higher education more modern and quality-oriented. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said young people could play a key role in advancing relations between the two countries. He reaffirmed China’s continued cooperation in Bangladesh’s education and development sectors. East West University Board of Trustees Chairman Prof Dr Mohammed Farashuddin and Vice-Chancellor Prof Shams Rahman also spoke at the event.  

Teachers, researchers and students at 76 public and private universities will get access to more than 30,000 e-books and e-journals from seven international institutions under a new agreement aimed at widening the country's access to global academic resources. The Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project and the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN) signed the deal on Thursday at the University Grants Commission (UGC) meeting room in Dhaka, under the banner "E-Books for UGC Digital Library". BdREN Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Tawrit and HEAT Project Director Asaduzzaman signed the agreement in the presence of UGC Chairman Mamun Ahmed. Under the deal, academics and students will be able to use the e-books, e-journals and other research materials from the seven institutions. Stressing greater use of e-resources, the UGC chairman said the materials are being procured in line with universities' needs and the country's priority sectors. "This will make it easier for teachers and researchers to access international e-books, e-journals and other research materials." He said universities must step up their use of e-resources to improve the quality of education and research. "We have to use this facility to move the country's research sector forward," he said, adding that the UGC is working on ways to boost e-resource use in research. Highlighting the digital transformation drive at universities, Mamun said initiatives are underway to expand high-speed WiFi and broadband internet and to build an e-resource sharing system. This, he said, would strengthen digital links among local universities and with institutions abroad. "The UGC is also moving to connect expatriate academics and researchers with Bangladeshi universities through digital platforms." The UGC chairman said the commission is taking effective steps to develop the country's universities into fully digital campuses.

The government is working on the blue economy and plans to establish a specialised university focusing on the sector in the future, Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon said on Wednesday. He made the remarks while addressing a scholarship distribution ceremony organised jointly by the Marketing Alumni Association of Dhaka University and Meghna Group of Industries (MGI) at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building. The minister said the government is working to develop Bangladesh’s human resources by equipping them with the skills needed for the future. “The government is working with the highest priority on the education sector to improve the country’s education system,” he said. Highlighting the importance of exposure to diverse cultures and experiences, Milon said such exposure enables people to analyse problems from multiple perspectives. He urged students not to confine themselves to a single field but to apply their knowledge, talents and skills across different areas. Speaking about the gap between academia and industry, the education minister said major companies and industries in Bangladesh do not give sufficient importance to strengthening linkages between the two sectors. “It is unfortunate that big companies and industries in our country do not attach enough importance to academia-industry linkage,” he said. Referring to China, he said industries there have established polytechnic institutes within industrial facilities, allowing engineers to teach students while students gain practical experience by working in those industries. “Such a linkage is also necessary in our country,” he added. “The people before me today will build the Bangladesh of tomorrow. Our intellect is in no way inferior to that of citizens of other countries,” he said addressing the students. Milon praised MGI’s corporate social responsibility initiative of providing scholarships to university students and urged other corporate organizations to come forward with similar initiatives to support education. The event, titled “MGI-MAA Scholarship 2026,” was organised jointly by MGI and the DU Marketing Department Alumni Association to provide scholarships to 90 students of the Marketing Department of DU.  

Comilla University (CoU) authorities have declared a university-wide day of general mourning for Sunday following the brutal murder of Yashat Shahriar Opratim, the son of an associate professor at the university. All classes and pre-scheduled examinations across all departments will remain suspended on Sunday, said an official press release signed by CoU Registrar Md. Mojibur Rahman Majumder on Saturday. Expressing deep shock and condemnation over the barbaric incident, the university administration extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The university also demanded a fair and speedy investigation to swiftly arrest and ensure exemplary punishment for those involved in the murder. Revised schedules for the suspended examinations will be announced later by the respective departments, according to the press release. The body of Oprotim, who had been missing since Friday, was recovered from a jungle in the Kotbari area of the Cumilla district on Saturday. “The boy had severe injury marks on his head. We are investigating the incident,” police said.

The authorities of Islamic University in Kushtia have dismissed one of its professors for remaining absent from work for a prolonged period without official approval. The dismissed teacher was identified as Professor Sipon Miah, a teacher of the Information and Communication Technology department of the university. The decision was taken following a resolution of the university's syndicate, the highest policy-making body of the university. According to university sources, the 274th syndicate meeting, held on June 29, decided that teachers who remained absent without approval would be dismissed if they failed to rejoin their posts within 15 working days. IU Acting registrar Professor Dr Atiqur Rahman told UNB that Sipon Miah was dismissed in accordance with the syndicate's decision over his prolonged absence.

The government has made a credible start in delivering its electoral commitments on primary education, but sustaining momentum through to full implementation remains the real challenge, a study by the Citizens Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh revealed on Saturday. The findings were presented at a dialogue titled "Is the Government Delivering? Spotlight on Primary Education," organised by the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, at a city hotel in Gulshan. Towfiqul Islam Khan, Additional Director (Research) at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), presented the keynote paper. Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convener of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, chaired the session, while State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj attended as the chief guest. The study tracked 24 election manifesto pledges relevant to primary education, three focused specifically on primary and pre-primary education and 21 classified as cross-cutting, affecting both primary and higher levels, using a five-stage framework ranging from "Reform Proposed" to "Action Implementation." None of the pledges have yet reached the final "Action Implementation" stage, the study found. Of the three primary-specific pledges, one each sits at "Reform Initiated," "Legal & Policy Framework" and "Operationalisation." Among the 21 cross-cutting pledges, eight have moved to "Operationalisation," including the mid-day meal programme, free school uniform distribution, teachers' retirement benefits, the "One Child, One Tree" campaign, and multimedia classrooms. The researchers noted that quick-win, symbolic initiatives have advanced fastest, while several structural reforms, such as establishing an Education Reform Commission, ensuring health protection for female students, and launching a dedicated education TV channel,  remain stalled at the proposal stage. On financing, the study said the education budget for FY2026-27 stands at 1.8 percent of GDP, still 0.4 to 0.5 percentage points short of the pathway needed to reach the Citizens Platform's proposed target of 5 percent of GDP by 2031. Budget utilisation has also lagged, with actual education spending at only around 1.3 percent of GDP in FY25 and overall utilisation falling to about 76 percent between FY23 and FY25. The study flagged the delayed rollout of the fifth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP5), to which 16 of the tracked pledges are linked as a critical bottleneck, warning that further delay could compress its 2026-2031 implementation window and slow progress on foundational literacy, teacher quality, and school-level infrastructure. The study recommended immediate clarification on the reasons behind PEDP5's delay, closer scrutiny of whether rising budget utilisation reflects genuine investment in learning quality rather than salary costs, ring-fencing of education allocations amid tight fiscal space, publication of citizen-friendly quarterly budget reports, and fixes to long-standing procurement and project-implementation bottlenecks.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj on Wednesday highlighted the importance of educational institutions taking responsibility for students’ safety and well-being alongside their academic development. Speaking at a leadership summit as the chief guest, he underscored the need for schools to create environments where students feel safe, supported and able to raise concerns. Bobby Hajjaj said the current government has undertaken various far-reaching initiatives on a massive scale to tirelessly improve the quality of education. "Beyond enhancing academic standards, the government is committed to working in partnership with all educational institutions to improve their infrastructure and ensure a safe, healthy environment for students. At the same time, emphasis is being placed on increasing student engagement with the community," he said. Haileybury Bhaluka and Cambridge University Press & Assessment jointly hosted the Safeguarding Leadership Summit 2026 at Le Méridien Dhaka, bringing together heads of educational institutions, education leaders, teachers and safeguarding professionals from across Bangladesh. Held under the theme “Stronger Together, Safer Tomorrow – Keeping Children Safe in Bangladesh,” the summit focused on strengthening child safeguarding practices, promoting students’ mental and social wellbeing, and building effective safeguarding systems across educational institutions. The summit emphasised that the success of an educational institution cannot be measured solely through academic outcomes. Ensuring a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment is equally important to achieving educational excellence, speakers said. Participants highlighted the need to make safeguarding an integral part of school culture rather than treating it simply as a set of policies and procedures. In his opening remarks, Country Lead of Cambridge University Press & Assessment Sarwat Reza stressed the importance of broadening the concept of school excellence beyond academic performance and placing student safety and wellbeing at the heart of educational leadership. Speaking from the perspective of Bangladesh’s educational context, Simon O’Grady, founding head master of Haileybury Bhaluka, emphasised the importance of school leaders being visible, curious, courageous, consistent, evidence-informed and committed to continuous learning. He also highlighted a range of safeguarding challenges, including physically and psychologically harmful disciplinary practices, declining attendance and completion rates at the secondary level, students’ reluctance to report concerns, and cultural barriers that can make it difficult for young people to question authority. Speakers at the summit stressed that developing safeguarding policies alone is not sufficient. Teachers, staff and school leaders must understand what action to take when a concern arises, whom to report it to, how to document the matter appropriately, and what follow-up actions are required. One of the key highlights of the summit was the interactive session “What Would You Do If...?”, led by Simon O’Grady. The session invited education leaders to discuss realistic safeguarding scenarios and consider appropriate responses. It connected safeguarding principles with situations that schools may encounter in everyday practice, while reinforcing the importance of preparedness and accountability at every level of an institution. The scenarios included issues relating to student self-harm, concerns or complaints about the conduct of a member of school staff, bullying, and inclusion. Participants exchanged views on immediate response, reporting responsibilities, confidentiality, the collection and preservation of relevant information and evidence, and the provision of longer-term support to students. The summit called on education leaders to strengthen safeguarding systems within their respective institutions. Particular emphasis was placed on establishing clear responsibilities, creating safe environments for raising concerns, expanding professional training, and regularly reviewing child protection and safeguarding arrangements. According to the organisers, safeguarding cannot be the responsibility of a single individual or be limited to one policy document. Effective safeguarding requires leadership, accountability, evidence-based practice, professional development and a shared sense of responsibility across the entire school community.  

University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed has directed the relevant authorities to take necessary steps to bring audit objections at public universities down to zero. He urged universities to gradually settle outstanding audit objections and take effective measures to prevent new ones from arising. The UGC chairman made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing the inaugural session of a day-long workshop titled “Budget Formulation and Implementation in Public Universities” at the UGC auditorium. Emphasising the need for financial discipline, Professor Mamun said the number of audit objections has been increasing every year at most public universities, with the growth this year higher than in the previous year. He said such objections create a public perception that government funds are not being used properly. “Our decision at this moment is that we aim to reach a state of zero audit objections,” he said. The UGC chairman acknowledged that it would not be possible to resolve all long-standing objections overnight. He called for a gradual reduction of existing objections while ensuring that no new ones are created. He identified failure to properly follow the Public Procurement Rules (PPR) and financial regulations as major causes of audit objections. Officials and staff involved in procurement should be properly trained in PPR, he said, adding that the UGC would provide assistance if necessary. He also stressed the importance of complying with financial management rules. The government makes the laws and regulations, while universities implement them; the UGC mainly works as a coordinator between the government and universities. “We do not wish to impose new rules on the universities. We aim to foster coordination between the government and the universities to prevent any duplication of efforts or conflicts. University autonomy will be preserved, while government laws and regulations will also be duly observed,” he said. The UGC chairman also stressed the need to follow rules on recruitment, promotion and restructuring of organisational structures. He said efforts are under way to address complications arising from past irregularities within the existing legal and regulatory framework. At the same time, universities must ensure that no new irregularities occur. Professor Mamun urged universities to assess their staffing needs carefully and submit proposals supported by reliable data. He pointed to a case where a university received approval to recruit staff in 2023 but did not make the appointments in 2024, 2025 or 2026. “This indicates a flaw in the initial assessment of requirements,” he said. “We want to cooperate. If you submit logical proposals backed by appropriate data, the Commission will implement them promptly,” he added. Referring to the UGC's strategic plan for transforming higher education, Professor Mamun said implementation of the plan may require funding beyond existing budgetary and development allocations. He stressed that transparency in financial and administrative systems must therefore be ensured. “Ensuring transparency will build trust in universities among the government, society and the state. Funding will then cease to be a major issue. It is not enough for us to merely earn this trust; we must also make that trust visible to the public,” he said. He also announced plans to hold regular high-level discussions and share government rules and regulations with officials responsible for administrative and financial management at universities. The UGC is also working to establish digital connectivity with every university, he said. Existing software systems will be reviewed and necessary features will be added. UGC Member Professor Dr Md Aslam Hossain presided over the workshop.

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Tuesday acknowledged major shortcomings in the evaluation of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) answer scripts this year, citing a sharp jump in GPA-5 achievers after re-evaluation as proof of the lapses. "Re-evaluation of SSC scripts saw 3,079 students secure GPA-5. This shows there were problems in script evaluation," he said while speaking as the chief guest at the "National University Scholarship and Vice-Chancellor Award" ceremony at the International Mother Language Institute. Milon said examiners found to have improperly assessed SSC scripts must be held accountable, while proper training must also be arranged for examiners. He stressed the need to strengthen monitoring mechanisms across educational institutions to improve the quality of education. “Teachers’ classroom attendance and teaching methods must be monitored centrally,” he said. On the National University, the minister said colleges affiliated with it can arrange classroom monitoring through their own management systems. Noting that a huge number of students study under the National University, he said its education quality must be further improved. "Introducing courses based on market demand for students, teacher training, and modernising the curriculum are extremely necessary." Milon further said there is no alternative to bringing about extensive changes in the education sector if the country is to achieve real development. He noted that 2 percent of GDP has already been allocated for education in the budget. “Four new books will be added to the curriculum for classes IV and VI next year, while the 2028 curriculum will also be revised, with work already underway to that end.” The minister said the current government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is working by giving top priority to education. "Adequate allocations have also been made for research. To bring about real change in education, the allocated funds must be put to the best possible use. The National University must also work sincerely towards this goal." A total of 57 students were given the Vice-Chancellor Award this year, with the minister handing each of them a certificate, crest and Tk 25,000. Besides, 2,897 students were given scholarships worth Tk 6,000 each, totalling Tk 1.73 crore, disbursed from the university's own fund.