United News of Bangladesh

Saifuddin Ahmed, an associate professor in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University, has been appointed as the new proctor of the university. The university's registrar office issued a notification confirming the appointment on Wednesday. Following the resignation of the proctorial team on August 8, after the fall of the Hasina government, the positions of proctor and assistant proctors had remained unfilled. Saifuddin Ahmed has had a long career in academia, having previously taught at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), North-South University (NSU), and the University Of Asia Pacific (UAP) before joining Dhaka University. He also served as an assistant proctor at SUST. His academic contributions include four books and at least 17 journal articles, highlighting his scholarly and administrative capabilities. Prof Saifuddin emphasised the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders to foster a student-friendly campus. "We are committed to creating a student-friendly university environment and look forward to the support of all university stakeholders. Together, we will work towards this goal," he told UNB.

British High Commission in Dhaka has invited applications for the UK Government’s Chevening South Asian Journalism Fellowship. Applications for the UK Government's Chevening South Asian Journalism Fellowship (SAJP) are open from 6 August 2024 to 10 October 2024. The High Commission said prospective candidates can submit their applications via https://www.chevening.org/fellowship/sajp/ The Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship is aimed at mid-career journalists from South Asian countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The programme comprises eight intensive weeks of lectures, visits, and discussions that introduce SAJP fellows to key UK academics, media, and political figures in the field. They will also meet their peers in the UK’s top media organisations. The fellowship is fully funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and hosted by the University of Westminster. The programme offers an opportunity to explore the range of approaches taken by the UK and the South Asian region, and then use that knowledge to direct discussions that tackle the big issues challenging the field.

Students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet were forced to vacate their dormitories by Monday evening, following an ultimatum from local residents.  The residents issued the ultimatum based on allegations that members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were trying to create unrest on campus by occupying the dorms. On Tuesday afternoon, the coordinators of the student movement held a press briefing to clarify the situation. They stated that a misunderstanding had occurred between the local residents and the students. The coordinators emphasized that it was not the BCL members but rather regular students who were staying in the dorms. During the press briefing held at 2:30 pm on the SUST campus, central co-coordinator of the recently concluded student movement, Asadullah Al Galib, said that a rumor had spread on Facebook, claiming that BCL members had occupied the university dorms once again. This misinformation prompted local residents to gather on campus with sticks on Monday afternoon. They then issued an ultimatum, demanding that students vacate the dorms by 7 p.m. Despite efforts by the coordinators and university faculty members to explain the situation to the residents, the students were ultimately compelled to leave the dorms due to safety concerns. The coordinators expressed their concerns over the lack of security for students at an autonomous institution like SUST. The coordinators also accused the university administration of negligence, stating that the absence of a proper administration had allowed miscreants to frequently infiltrate the campus and conduct motorcycle showdowns, which have left students feeling unsafe and disturbed the university’s environment. To restore normalcy at the university, the coordinators urged the swift appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor and other administrative officials. Regarding the return of students to the dorms, Asadullah Al Galib mentioned that discussions would take place soon, and efforts would be made to reach a peaceful resolution. He emphasized that the students do not wish for any misunderstandings with the local residents, who had previously supported their movement to topple the authoritarian Hasina regime, a support they would never forget. The Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and all hall provosts of SUST resigned on August 10, amid growing protests against the 15-year rule of the Awami League government. Since then, the university has effectively been left without leadership.

Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University. The appointment came to light on Monday. Dr. Khan is a Professor in the Department of Development Studies at Dhaka University and was serving as the Pro Vice Chancellor of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). He will be the 30th vice chancellor of DU since its founding in 1921. The chancellor, i.e. President Shahabuddin Chuppu's office confirmed to some media outlets on Monday that he has made the appointment, although no official communication has been received in this regard from DU itself. Niaz Ahmed Khan completed both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Public Administration from the University of Chittagong. Additionally, he holds two diploma degrees, a Ph.D., and three postdoctoral degrees from various international universities, including Oxford University. Dr Khan has extensive experience working with NGOs and INGOs as an adviser and operations manager. In academia, he has taught at both public and private universities and has served as a research fellow. His administrative experience is also notable. With over 25 years of teaching and research experience in Bangladesh, the UK, and Thailand, Dr. Khan specializes in social sciences, environmental and natural resource management, development studies, and business administration. His previous positions include Chairman and Professor of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka, South Asian Fellow at Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, Research Fellow at the University of Wales Swansea, Professor of Public Administration at the University of Chittagong, Distinguished Visiting Researcher at The American University in Cairo, Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Asian University for Women, Senior Academic Adviser and Coordinator (postgraduate programs) at BIGD, BRAC University, Senior Academic Adviser at the National Defence College, Executive Director of the Centre for Resources and Development Research, and Asia Research Fellow at the Asian Institute of Technology. He has also held adjunct and part-time professorships at leading universities in Bangladesh, including BRAC University, East West University, North South University, and Independent University, Bangladesh.

Education and Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Sunday said forcing people now working in different positions in educational intuitions may create instability and action will be taken if there is any reasonable complaints against them.  He said these at a meeting with the officials of the ministry. The adviser mentioned that the process of new appointments and transfers is currently underway. However, he warned that forced resignations may lead to unrest and the administration could collapse, causing issues such as delays in salary payments for teachers, officials, and employees. Wahiduddin emphasized that the appointments and transfers of teachers, officials, and employees in government educational institutions are carried out according to the established rules and regulations. There is no provision of forcing someone to resign, he added. Highlighting the desire to return to a disciplined society after a successful changeover, he said that the expected relationship between teachers and students in educational institutions should be restored. He also stressed the importance of maintaining decorum and ensuring that no one is personally humiliated in the process.

The Ministry of Education has decided to cancel all the remaining Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams. This decision came in response to demands from some students who stormed the  secretariat around 2pm Tuesday. Prof. Tapan Kumar Sarker, head of the Inter-Education Board Coordinating Committee and chairman of the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, confirmed this to UNB over the phone. He also said that details on how the exam results will be published will be disclosed  within the next 1 or 2 days. On June 30, the HSC and equivalent exams began across the coutnry. After eight days of exams, all exams scheduled for July 18 were postponed due to the situation created by the quota reform movement. After that, the government postponed the exams three more times. Finally, after postponing all the exams, a new schedule was published starting from August 11. According to that, the written exams were supposed to end by September 8. However, due to the current situation caused by the mass-student movement and the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina-led government, the boards said that it is not possible to conduct the exams.

Barishal University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mohammad Badruzzaman Bhuiyan, Proctor Abdul Kaiyum, and 18 others have resigned in the face of student protests. Among those who stepped down are the provosts of four halls, several house tutors, the Director of Physical Education, the Controller of Examinations, and the university librarian. On Tuesday afternoon, students continued their protest for the second consecutive day, demanding the resignation of the VC and the Proctor. In response, Proctor Abdul Kaiyum was the first submit his resignation letter to the registrar. Shortly afterwards, Vice-Chancellor Badruzzaman Bhuiyan also resigned, citing personal and family reasons in a letter to the Ministry of Education. The students celebrated their departure on campus. Sujoy Biswas Shuvo, a student of Barishal University, said the VC and Proctor had been uncooperative with the student movement. They allegedly attempted to suppress the protests and harass the students involved. University Registrar Monirul Islam confirmed the resignation of the 20 officials, including the VC and Proctor. He assured that academic activities would not be disrupted by these resignations and the exams and classes would proceed as scheduled.

The postponed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams will now be conducted with only half the original number of questions, officials announced today. The exams, which were delayed earlier, will also see a rescheduling, with the new timetable set to be pushed back by at least two weeks. The decision was reached during an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Education, chaired by the interim government’s Education Adviser, Wahiduddin Mahmud. Prof. Tapan Kumar Sarker, head of the Inter-Education Board Coordinating Committee and chairman of the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, confirmed the changes to UNB.  

Hundreds of students have stormed the Secretariat demanding the release of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results through subject mapping and without taking tests of the remaining subjects. The students forcefully broke through police barriers at the gate near Zero Point and made their way into the secretariat on Tuesday around 2pm. They were seen staging a protest march between building 6 and 11. The HSC exams were postponed in the midway following the mass uprising that overthrew the Awami League government.    

 The deans of the Arts Faculty and Fine Arts Faculty at Dhaka University resigned from their positions today in the wake of student protests on Monday. The resignation of Prof. Abdul Bashir, dean of the Arts Faculty, came after students accused him of being unfit for his role and of siding with oppressors during recent protests. Students also claimed that he obstructed Holy Quran recitation during Ramadan. Following his resignation, students gathered at his office to recite verses from the Holy Quran and offer prayers for his guidance, with Prof Bashir present. Earlier in the day, Arts Faculty students had visited the dean’s office around 12:30 PM to formally request his resignation. Prof. Nisar Uddin, the dean of the Fine Arts Faculty, also stepped down by 3:30 pm after Fine Arts students, who had been protesting since the early afternoon, demanded his resignation. In addition to these developments, Law Faculty students have staged demonstrations calling for the resignation of their dean and department chairman, Dr Rahmatullah. They locked and sealed the dean’s office door in response to his absence, further escalating their protest.