Dipu Moni
Bangladesh needs Sheikh Hasina's govt again and again for continued development: Dipu Moni
Mentioning that average income and life expectancy of people in Bangladesh were up during the Awami League government, Education Minister and Joint General Secretary of AL, Dr Dipu Moni, said the country needs Sheikh Hasina's government again and again for continued development.
She was speaking as chief guest at the tri-annual conference of Sadar upazila and Municipality Awami League at Chandpur Stadium on Monday afternoon.
As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina works for the countrymen, living standards have improved significantly, she said.
Read: Sheikh Hasina must come back to save Bangladesh, says Obaidul Quader
"Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, many countries in the world are experiencing an adverse situation. Even in such conditions, we are in a better position than many," she said.
People did not forget the terrible days of arson attacks unleashed by BNP-Jamaat, she said. During their tenure, they could not give anything to the people of the country, rather they snatched away people's wealth, Dipu Moni said. They mercilessly tortured, killed and oppressed people, she added.
The minister said that it's BNP-Jamaat's nature to start conspiracies ahead of national elections. "We have to unite to make all elections successful, including national election," she said.
The minister reiterated that the national election will be held on time and it won't wait for anyone. Some political parties oppose elections without reasonable grounds, she said.
Read: People will talk but Bangladesh is benefitting from AL govt's dev work: PM
Chaired by Chandpur Sadar Upazila Awami League President Nurul Islam Nazim Dewan, District Awami League President Nashir Uddin Ahmed inaugurated the conference.
Jatiya Sangsad whip and acting organizational secretary of Awami League Chattogram Division Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon, Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, general secretary of district Awami League Abu Naeem Patwari Dulal were also present there.
Dipu Moni wins Gusi Peace Award
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni has won the Gusi Peace Prize for her “exemplary achievements” in the field of “public service and diplomacy”.
She received the prize in Manila on Thursday.
The Gusi Peace Prize is given by the Gusi Peace Prize Foundation, based in Manila, Philippines, mandated by the Presidential Proclamation No. 1476. It is given to recognize individuals and organizations who contribute to global peace and progress through a wide variety of fields.
The awards ceremonies are held yearly on the fourth Wednesday of November, the Gusi Pease Prize International Friendship Day. It was held at the Club Philippino and fourteen awardees from fourteen countries (Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Myanmar, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Philippines) received this prize for 2022.
Read: 2 Bangladesh nationals receive honorary British awards
Dipu Moni has been the Education Minister of Bangladesh since January 2019 and a Member of Parliament representing the Chandpur-3 constituency since 2009. She was the first female Foreign Minister of Bangladesh from 2009 to 2013. She was also the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the All Party Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Rights between 2014 and 2018.
She studied MBBS at Dhaka Medical College, later earned Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and did her Masters in Law from the University of London. In 2018 she was named one of the 150 Leading Women of University of London in its history of 150 years of female education.
Her father MA Wadud, a close associate of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was a founding member of the Bangladesh Awami League, first Council elected General Secretary of Students League and known especially for his role in the Language Movement in 1952.
She is the wife of Tawfique Nawaz, an Oxford educated Senior Advocate of the country and mother to their two children Tawquir Rashaad Nawaz and Tani Deepavali Nawaz.
Dipu Moni promises stern action against those responsible for bizarrely communal question
Education Minister Dipu Moni said the incident of communal incitement found in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) exam question paper is very regretful and will not be tolerated.
The minister made the remark while replying to a journalist's question on religious sentiment hurt by Bangla 1st paper HSC exam question at the International Mother Language Institute in the city on Monday.
She said there was a specific direction about avoiding communalism in question papers, but sadly the questioner and the moderator both failed to identify the issue or took it normally.
Also read: HSC exams begin across the country
“The moderator will be identified and actions will be taken in this regard,” said Dipu Moni
She said those who want to sow the seeds of communalism in student's minds will not be allowed to get involved in the procedure of setting or moderating questions in future.
HSC and equivalent exams for the academic session 2021-22 began across the country with Bangla 1st Paper on Sunday.
There, in the Dhaka Board’s question paper, one CQ (written) question raised a controversy and drew criticism.
Also read: HSC examinees decline under Jashore Board
The bizarre and unnecessary passage said that two brothers, Nepal and Gopal (names generally used by Hindu community), had a land dispute. To punish his elder brother, Nepal sold the disputed land to a Muslim man named Abdul. But when the new owner sacrificed a cow on that land during Eid-ul-Adha, it hurt Nepal and he migrated to India.
This question received huge criticism from concerned people and educationists for its blatant use of communal elements, from established tropes to provocative dog whistles.
Printing work of textbooks to start from Thursday: Dipu Moni
The printing work of textbooks will start from Thursday with aim to distribute those among students on the first day of 2023, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday.
“We want to distribute textbooks on time as well as maintaining their quality,” the minister told reporters in reply to a question at the Secretariat.
“Now if paper pulp is not available, then we have to provide paper even if it is secondary pulp. There will some differences in the quality of paper, but we have to ensure acceptable quality,” she added.
Read more: Students to get new books on first day of 2023: Dipu Moni
Dipu Moni said it is not possible to check all 35 crore textbooks. “We try our best to maintain the quality as much as possible.”
The government celebrates textbook festival on the first day of every year to distribute new books among students which was not held in the last two years due to Covid pandemic.
Now the pandemic is under control, the government wants to return to the old tradition, said the minister.
On October 29, Dipu Moni said textbooks will be distributed at schools countrywide on the first day of 2023.
Coaching centres to remain closed Nov 3-Dec 14 ahead of HSC: Dipu Moni
All coaching centres across Bangladesh will remain closed from November 3 to December 14, ahead of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations, Education Minister Dipu Moni said today.
HSC and equivalent exams will begin on November 6, she said at a press briefing at the secretariat.
Read: No SSC question paper leaked, Dinajpur incident regrettable: Dipu Moni
This year, a total of 12,03,407 examinees will sit for the exams. Of them, 6,22,769 are boys and 5,80,611 are girls.
HSC, equivalent exams will be held in 2,649 centers and 9,181 institutions. Examinees will not be allowed to carry mobile phones or any devices.
No SSC question paper leaked, Dinajpur incident regrettable: Dipu Moni
No question paper of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams was leaked this year, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday.
“No question paper of SSC exams was leaked in the last four years,” she added.
The minister told this to local journalists after attending a programme on social harmony in Chandpur sadar upazila.
However, She said what happened in Dinajpur is regrettable.
Read: DU Journalism department celebrates Diamond Jubilee
“Secretary of an examination centre took packets containing question papers of different subjects together. A probe is underway to identify the reason behind it and the centre secretary-headmaster has been suspended,” said the education minister.
Legal action will be taken against him, she said.
On September 21, SSC examinations on four subjects under the Dinajpur Education Board were postponed as questions of English 1st paper and 2nd paper of the ongoing SSC exams went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp.Dinajpur Board also formed a three-member probe committee headed by Prof Faraz Uddin Talukdar, college inspector of the Education Board.
Earlier on September 20, three school teachers, including Lutfur Rahman, the headmaster and secretary of Bhurungamari Nehal Uddin Pilot High School centre, and two assistant teachers of the school – Zubaiyer Hossain and Aminur Rahman – were arrested in this connection.
No chance of leaking question paper for SSC exam: Dipu Moni
Minister for Education Dr Dipu Moni on Tuesday said there is no chance of leaking the question papers for the upcoming SSC examinations as law enforcers are alert about the matter.
Besides, measures will be taken if anybody tries to circulate misleading information including rumours about the leakage of question papers, she said.
The minister said these while addressing as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of a training programme of teachers in implementing ’National Education Curriculum Outline-2021’ at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital.
She said the teachers are the main soldiers in implementing the new educational curriculum as some 4, 00,000 teachers have already taken training to make the curriculum successful.
Read: SSC exams this year will start from 11am, duration 2 hours: Dipu Moni
There is no alternative to training to make the teachers prepared to face the revolutionary change of the educational sector, the minister said.
Dipu Moni further said measures have been taken to bring all teachers of the secondary-level across the country under training programme.
Educational institutions are free to decide on student politics: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Monday said the educational institutions will decide whether to allow or not student politics on the campus.
“The outcome of banning student politics in educational institutions is not usually good. This should also be considered,” she said.
The minister was talking to reporters after attending a meeting on law and order situation during SSC and equivalent exams in the capital.
Being involved in politics is a matter of an individual’s fundamental rights, said Dipu.
Also read: Momen not accompanying PM in India: Dipu Moni questions media’s use of “dropped”
“It is between a political party and an educational institute, what rule they made and what understanding they have regarding student politics. The education ministry does not decide nor intervene in these matters,” said the minister.
“People have different opinions regarding allowing student politics in educational institutions but there is no alternative to political consciousness if we hope for a democratic society” Dipu added.
Politics is a healthy and positive thing and this positivity has to be maintained during party politics in educational institutions, she said.
On August 13, former students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) arranged a rally in its premises ahead of National Mourning Day under the banner of Bangladesh Chhatra league (BCL).
Also read: SSC exams this year will start from 11am, duration 2 hours: Dipu Moni
This raised a storm of debate as political activities in BUET campus has officially remained banned since the murder of student Abrar Fahad in 2019, by some then-leaders of BCl at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university.
SSC exams this year will start from 11am, duration 2 hours: Dipu Moni
All coaching centres across the country will remain closed from September 12 to October 2, ahead of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams, Education Minister Dipu Moni said today (September 5, 2022).
According to the schedule, SSC and equivalent exams will start from September 15 and will end on October 18.
Nationwide, SSC exams will start from 11am, instead of 10am, considering traffic congestion, she said at a meeting of the National Monitoring and Law and Order Committee for ensuring that the exams are held smoothly. The meeting was held at Secretariat.
Read:Teachers barred from tutoring students of their institutions privately: Dipu Moni
This year, SSC exams will be held for two hours, instead of three, she added. Duration of the MCQ part of the exam will be 20 minutes while the written part will be held for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
All examinees have been requested to enter the exam halls 30 minutes before the exams start, and no one except the exam secretary will be allowed to carry mobile phones.
Some 20,21,868 students are expected to take SSC and equivalent exams this session while last year the number was 22,43,254. The number of candidates has decreased by 2,21,386.
Read:Religious studies not excluded from new curriculum: Dipu Moni
About 15,99,711 candidates will sit for the SSC exams under nine general education boards, 2,68,495 for Dakhil exams under Madrasa Education Board and 1,53,662 for vocational exams under Bangladesh Technical Education Board this year, the minister said.
Some 3,790 centers are set for SSC exams across the country.
SSC and equivalent exams were scheduled to begin on June 19, but were postponed due to the flood situation in the country on June 17.
Read New schedule of SSC exams to be announced when there will be no floodwater in schools: Dipu
Religious studies not excluded from new curriculum: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday dismissed as false some social media speculation that religious studies are being excluded from the new curriculum for students.
She was talking to the media after attending a programme at the National Press Club in the capital.
“A specific group of people is spreading propaganda as part of an anti-government campaign. As they find nothing else to talk about, they are now spreading propaganda about the new curriculam,” said Dipu Moni.
Also read: Educational institutions to remain closed for 2 days a week to save power
“We are working to expand knowledge, skills and morality through education by implementing the new curriculum. Religion, morality, values are an inseparable part of it,” she said.
Also read: Energy crisis: Govt mulls 2-day weekly holiday in educational institutions