education
SUST buzzing again as dorms reopen
After nearly 19 months of Covid-forced closure, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) welcomed back its residential students to the dormitories with flowers and banners.
Only vaccinated final-year honours and master’s students were allowed to enter the dormitories after showing valid documents and proof of receiving at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.
Also:SUST to reopen dorms in phased manner from October 25
Students of other sessions will gradually be allowed to enter the residential halls in phases within the next few days.
SUST Vice Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed welcomed back the students after joining a ceremony virtually in the television room of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall.
Provosts of the five SUST dormitories were present at the function.
VC Farid Uddin said,'' Health guidelines will be strictly maintained inside the dorms. We (authority) will be vigilant in ensuring that no one illegally occupies the dormitory seats.”
The UNB correspondent found students in a cheerful mood as they were waiting to enter their second home after a long hiatus.
Sajjad Bhuiyan, a first-year master's student of the university's Political Studies department, said, "After a long break, we have been able to enter our residential halls. The good management of the hall authorities has fascinated us.”
Physical classes are likely to begin in some departments from the first week of November. However, online classes will continue, university authorities said earlier.
RUB protest: Student on hunger strike tries to kill self in public
A Rabindra University Bangladesh student took poison on Sunday while on a hunger strike to demand termination of a teacher who allegedly cut the hair of 14 students.
Shamim, a student of Cultural Heritage and Bangladesh Studies Department brought out a bottle of poison from his pocket around 1 pm during his speech and gulped it in front of the students, said Nazmul Hasan Papon, spokesperson for the protesting students.
He was immediately taken to Shahjadpur Upazila Health Compex and his condition has improved now, he said.
Also read: RUB haircut humiliation: Students on indefinite hunger strike demanding termination of accused teacher
After the incident students blocked the Bagura-Nagarbari Highway around 1:30 pm which got scattered later as locals attacked them, said Nazmul.
Govt plans to raise number of classes in schools, colleges: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday said the government is planning to increase the number of classes in schools and colleges from January next.
The minister said this while talking to local journalists after inaugurating a new complex of Palli Bidyut Samiti-2 at Raldia village in Chandpur.
She said it is not possible to take any immediate decision on increasing classes as some countries are seeing the third wave of Covid-19 infections.
Also read: Schools, colleges that’ll see infection surge to be shut: Dipu Moni
“Classes have to be taken following health guidelines and maintaining social distance for now,” said Dipu Moni.
Protection of Hindus, others must be ensured: AI
Amnesty International’s South Asia Campaigner Saad Hammadi has urged the authorities to take urgent steps to protect the members of the minority community in Bangladesh against any attacks and ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims.
"Authorities must promptly, thoroughly, impartially and transparently investigate the incidents and bring those suspected to be responsible for the violence and vandalism to account through fair trials," said Hammadi.
Violence erupted in Bangladesh following allegations on social media that a copy of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, was desecrated at a puja pandal (temporary structures made for the religious ceremony) in Cumilla on October 13.
Read:Amnesty stands up for Bangladeshi journalists
Responding to the "violent attacks" on Hindu minority households and temples in Bangladesh during and after the Durga Puja, the country’s biggest Hindu festival, Hammadi said reports of a spate of attacks by angry mobs against members of the Hindu community, their homes, temples and puja pandals are "symptomatic of the growing anti-minority sentiment" in the country.
Targeting religious sensitivities to stoke communal tension is a serious human rights violation and requires immediate and decisive action from the government to address the situation of minorities in the country, said Hammadi.
Online application deadline for IU entry test extended till Oct 20
Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia has extended the online application deadline for the first-year honours courses offered by the Theology and Islamic Studies faculty by three days. The new deadline is October 20.
IU information, publication and public relations office director M Ataul Haque told UNB that the decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the university's central admission test committee, chaired by vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam, on Monday.
Read:IU to reopen residential halls on Oct 9
According to the decision, those seeking admission to these courses can registrar themselves till October 20 instead of October 17. Detailed information regarding the D' unit online application process is available on www.iu.ac.bd, IU's acting registrar M Ataur Rahman said.
First-ever ‘cluster’ admission tests in 20 public universities held
The first-ever combined tests of 20 general, science, and technology universities for the academic year 2020-21 were held on Sunday.
Considering the Covid-19 situation, authorities have set up 28 exam centres across Bangladesh, according to Wahiduzzaman, member secretary of the Cluster Admission Test Committee.
Some 361,406 students have applied to take part in the cluster admission tests for public universities.
Among them, 194 841 applied to science departments but only 131,905 students got the chance to sit for the test.
The exams for the humanities (B) and commerce units (C) are scheduled to be held on October 24 and November 1 respectively.
Govt ‘eyes partnership’ with non-formal education sector
Director General of the Bureau of Non-Formal Education (BNFE) Md Ataur Rahman has said the government is eager to work in the non-formal education sector on the basis of a long-term partnership with BRAC, an international development organization.
BRAC's long-term activities for Rohingyas and the host community are positive, praiseworthy and realistic, and the government wants to utilize those experiences of BRAC, he said.
Rahman made the remarks while addressing a discussion at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar town on Saturday evening, said a media release on Sunday.
The Education Sector of BRAC under Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) organized the discussion titled ‘Education Activities under HCMP’.
The BNFE DG visited the district to inspect the education activities, taken up by BRAC, at Rohingya camps.
Md Ripon Kabir Laskar, Deputy Director (Admin) of BNFE; Safi Rahman Khan, Director of Education Programme of BRAC; Md Mahamud Hasan, Chief of Party of the same programme; Khan Mohammad Ferdous, Lead of Education Sector under HCMP; and others were present.
The BNFE DG stressed the importance of innovating new ideas by utilizing the experiences of field level BRAC employees regarding the non-formal education for Rohingyas and the host community.
BRAC brought 69,423 children (aged between 3-14) under non-formal education at Rohingya camps. Besides, the organization is working for 3,759 children of the host community, he said, adding that the government and BRAC can work jointly on innovation by utilizing BRAC’s experiences.
He said the government will provide necessary support regarding the innovation and enhancing capacity of education employees.
Earlier, the DG visited the BRAC Learning Centre at No. 15 and 16 Rohingya camps where he talked to Rohingya children, studying from level 1-4, their parents, guardians and teachers.
IU to resume in-person classes Wednesday
The physical classes of all departments of Islamic University will resume on Wednesday after about 18 months of closure due to Covid-19 outbreak.
Many students have already returned to the campus as the university authorities reopened its dormitories for the students on October 9.
Read:17 IU teachers among world’s best researchers
University authorities allowed only those students, who had received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, to enter the halls.
The decision was taken in IU's 263rd syndicate meeting held on the campus on October 9.
All departments have already taken preparation to hold physical classes, IU treasurer Professor M Alamgir Hossain Bhuiya said.
Read: IU to reopen residential halls on Oct 9
The in-person classes will be held maintaining health guidelines, he added.
The university remained closed since March 18, 2020 due to the pandemic.
Buzz back as in-person classes resume at Dhaka University
Dhaka University authorities resumed physical classes on Sunday, after nearly 18 months of Covid-forced closure.
Offline classes resumed at different departments and institutes from 8am today.
Prof Abu Md Delwar Hossain, Dean of the Arts Faculty, said classes and exams began at 8am and those will continue until 5pm today.
Read:Vaccination campaign in Dhaka University starts from Monday to jab its students, teachers and staff
Students are allowed to attend classes provided they show the proof of receiving at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
Antika Tabassum, a third-year student of Islamic Studies department, said, "We are excited for being back to classrooms and seeing each other after a long time."
Rajshahi University dormitories reopen after 18 months
Authorities on Sunday reopened the residential halls Rajshahi University (RU) after closure for long 18 months due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The students started to enter their respective halls at 10 am amid much enthusiasm showing their ID cards and vaccination cards.
Read: Prof Golam Sabbir Sattar appointed as VC of Rajshahi University
The university administration decided to reopen the halls at a meeting of the university's academic council on September 30.
The university administration has issued some instructions including wearing masks for the students to enter the halls.
Basins have been installed in front of the dormitories to wash their hands. However, most of the 16 residential halls have not been renovated.
Students who have not yet been vaccinated yet but got registered on the Surokkha app have been asked to get vaccinated at the Shaheed Sukhranjan Samaddar Student-Teacher Cultural Center (TSCC) from October 18 to 22.
Read: The contenders to be the next VC of Rajshahi University
University Public Relations office administrator professor Ajijur Rahman said students need to get at least one dose of corona vaccine to enter the halls. Two copies of the vaccination certificate, hall identity card and stamp size picture of them have to be shown at the entrance.
All the residential halls of Rajshahi University remained closed since March 16 last year. Academic activities will resume on October 20.