A 48-hour transport strike initiated by the Brihattor Chattogram Ganaparibahan Malik Sramik Oikkyo Parishad began this morning (April 28, 2024), significantly disrupting daily life in the port city amidst a severe heatwave. The strike, which affects buses, minibuses, human haulers, autorickshaws, and other three-wheelers, has led to considerable difficulties for commuters across the city. Impact on Commuters From early in the morning, commuters, including office workers, students, and senior citizens, were seen waiting for long periods at several points in the port city due to the scarcity of mass transportation. The streets showed a markedly decreased traffic flow, with most vehicles off the roads in response to the strike call. Transport workers confirmed that no long-distance buses departed from Chattogram today. Md Musa, the member secretary of the transport body, stated that movement of buses and three-wheeler vehicles has been suspended since 6 am. Buses from other parts of the country are also prohibited from entering Chattogram during the strike period. MV Abdullah leaving UAE for Bangladesh today Background of the Strike The strike was called following an incident where students of the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) reportedly set buses on fire in protest after two of their peers were killed in a road accident. The students, Shanto Saha and Tawfiq Hasan, both from the Civil Engineering department, died when a bus hit their motorbike on the Chattogram-Kaptai road on April 22. In retaliation, some CUET students vandalized three buses and set another on fire. The protests escalated over the following days, leading to the university's closure and the postponement of academic activities. Demands and Protests The transport workers' strike is a protest against the damage inflicted on their vehicles and calls for compensation for the burnt buses, along with the arrest of the accused students. The strike encompasses Chattogram city, district, Cox’s Bazar, and three hilly districts. It aims to press home a four-point demand, emphasizing the need for justice and reparations from the damages incurred during the student protests. Emergency Services Exempt Despite the widespread disruption, the strike organizers say that emergency vehicles, including ambulances, will not be affected by the strike. The transport strike is scheduled to conclude at 6 am on Tuesday. Water crisis adds to woes of Khulna residents amid extreme heat University Response and Continued Tensions The CUET administration attempted to quell the unrest by meeting with the protesting students, who assured they would halt their demonstrations and return to academic activities. However, following an emergency syndicate committee meeting on April 26, CUET authorities decided to keep the campus closed until May 9.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the country’s first campus-based business incubator ‘Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator’ at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) on Wednesday. CUET Assistant Director (Public Relations) Muhammad Rashedul Islam said the PM is expected to inaugurate the Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator, Sheikh Jamal Dormitory and Rosy Jamal Dormitory by joining online from her official residence Ganobhaban. PM’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy will also be present on the occasion while State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak will deliver the welcome speech. Read: Hi-Tech Park to turn Khulna industrial area into tech-based zone: Palak CUET Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Mohammad Rafiqul Alam said CUET is the first university to set up Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator in the country with an aim to establish successful entrepreneurs in the IT sector, encourage research and innovation at the university level and enrich the industry-academia collaboration as well as unleash Bangladesh's global opportunities in the IT sector. At the same time, it will play a role in building a 'smart Bangladesh' by 2041 by creating skilled graduates in the IT sector to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he added. Under the Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator project at a cost of Tk 117 crore, a 10-storey incubation building comprising 50,000 square feet and a 6-storey multipurpose training building of 36,000 square feet have been constructed on five acres of land in CUET campus. There are Startup Zone, Idea / Innovation Zone, Industry-Academic Zone, Brainstorming Zone, E-Library, Data Center, Research Lab, Bangabandhu Corner, Exhibition Center, Video Conferencing Room, Meeting Room inside the Incubation building. There is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab, a machine learning lab, a big data lab, an optical fiber backbone, a sub-station and a solar panel to facilitate the work of entrepreneurs and researchers. There are also separate corners for banks and IT firms, state-of-the-art cyber cafes, food courts, cafeterias, recreation zones, maker spaces, display zones, press or media coverage zones, own parking facilities, etc. Read: Palak asks youths to be self-employed in IT sector Besides, the multipurpose training building has a well-equipped auditorium with a capacity of 250 people and eight separate computer lab cum seminar rooms with a capacity of 30 people. Two separate four-storey dormitory buildings (each for female and male) on an area of 20,000 square feet have been constructed. Each dormitory has 40 rooms. A state-of-the-art research lab with two mini supercomputers will also be set up soon. Apart from CUET VC, ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, MP from Chattogram-6 (Raozan) constituency, Chattogram Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, CUET teachers, officials and students will join the inauguration programme from CUET end.

Authorities closed the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) until July 5 amid tension gripping the campus following clashes between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). The Cuet authorities took the decision on Tuesday after a meeting with the departmental heads. Also read: Picked up by ‘DB’, CUET student missing for 3 days All male students have been asked to vacate their halls by 5 pm today while the female ones were asked to vacate their dormitories by 10 am on Wednesday, said Deputy Director of Cuet Fazlur Rahman. The classes and examinations of Honours level will remain suspended while the classes and examinations of Masters will continue, he said.  Meanwhile, authorities announced a vacation for Eid-ul-Azha from July 6 to July 14, said Cuet Registrar Prof Dr Faruque-Uz-Zaman Chowdhury (Additional Charge). According to the university authorities, two factions of Cuet unit Chhatra League locked into clashes several times in the last few days over previous enmity. Also read: BCL attacks Progressive Students Union protest rally against Ctg depot fire As a sequel to the clashes, a group of BCL obstructed the busses carrying teachers, staff, students while heading towards the campus. However, some teachers and staff managed to reach the campus using alternative way. On June 13, a group of BCL men, numbering 50, equipped with sticks and sharp weapons were seen patrolling the campus, creating panic among the students. Anwar Hossain shamim, assistant superintendent of Chattogram Rangunia (Circle) police, said additional police have been deployed on the campus to avoid further trouble.

Chinese telecom giant Huawei Monday announced the toppers of its Seeds For The Future 2021 Bangladesh programme from eight universities. Seeds For The Future is Huawei's flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students worldwide and was launched in Bangladesh in 2014. This year, the University of Dhaka (DU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) and East West University (EWU) joined the event. Read Huawei BUET ICT Academy to develop talent ecosystem More than 600 students from these eight universities rolled in the selection phase. And from there, 16 toppers, one male and one female student from each university, were selected based on their academic record, spot-exam, presentation skill and innovative thinking. The 16 students are Imtiaz Ahmed, and Syeda Fatima Fayruj from BUET; Sumayya Rahman, and Mehedi Hasan from KUET; Nahian Rifaat, and Nazifa Rahman Adhora from RUET; Aninda Nandy, and Fatema Islam Tania from CUET; Syed Doha Uddin, and Nishat Tasnim from the DU; Seeamoon Hasiba Reza, and Mohtasim Tasnim Zaman from EWU; Kazi Arham Kabir, and Sadia Karishma Kabir from AUST; AKM Rakib, and Ramisha Raida Karim from IUT.  Traditionally, the selected students go to China for a study trip. However, due to Covid-19, the training has been shifted to an online programme. Read 5G Quiz campaign: Huawei announces winners "As Bangladesh is progressing fast and digital transformation will determine our future growth, we are in dire need of skilled young people. So, Huawei' Seeds For The Future will yield positive outcomes not only for the future leaders but also for the country," Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury said at the event. "We started this programme in Bangladesh seven years ago, and the response has been phenomenal. Huawei considers the youth as of today's seeds, which must be facilitated with proper care so that they can prove to be assets in the future," said Zhang Zhengjun, CEO of Huawei Technologies Bangladesh.   "Today's youths are the future of tomorrow. Huawei, through the Seeds for the Future Programme, is supporting Bangladesh's emerging ICT talent and future ICT leaders by broadening their knowledge and equipping them with skills that will be useful and relevant to them both in their professional careers as well as lives as responsible global citizens," Beatrice Kaldun, Unesco representative to Bangladesh, said. Read Huawei Bangladesh for collaborative efforts to widen digital education, online learning scopes "This programme has been an excellent opportunity for our students to develop skills and learn so many things firsthand from experts and Huawei engineers," BUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Satya Prasad Majumder said. 

The government has planned to set up innovative hubs at three universities of the country to encourage researchers to be innovative in business models, commercially viable products and their marketing, according to an official document. To be named as “University Innovation Hubs”, the project is still at an early stage and the sites of the hubs are yet to be selected. It aims to develop digital entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. “This will be the government’s preliminary step towards embracing the upcoming 4th industrial revolution which will be digital centric,” says the document. Read: Bangladesh perfect example of innovation-driven development: Sajeeb Wazed According to official sources, the universities that can provide spaces of 3,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft will be eligible for the innovation hub. After the initial process, the eligible students will get funds from different projects.The innovation hubs will be expanded to both public and private universities in phases. The project is part of the government’s policy to inspire the young entrepreneurs to be more creative and innovative in new business models that will create more jobs. Read UCB to organize free workshop on digital skills with Monash College Australia As part of this process, the government formed Start-up Bangladesh in March 2020 with an allocated capital of Tk 500 crore to help new entrepreneurs innovate faster, create new jobs, develop technical skills and realise the vision of Digital Bangladesh, according to the document.

Avijit Hira, an assistant professor of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) pursuing PhD at Marquette University in Wisconsin, passed away in the USA on Thursday.