The election to the executive body of Islamic University Teachers’ Association (IUTA) began on the campus in Kushtia on Sunday morning.

The voting started at 9:30am and will continue till 4pm.

A total of 396 teachers can cast vote in the election.

Four panels -- two from Awami League-backed progressive teachers' alliance and two others from BNP-Jamaat teachers' alliance -- are contesting the election for 15 posts,
 

Professor Ashok Kumar Chakraborty has been made the new chairman of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering department of Islamic University in Kushtia.

IU vice-chancellor Professor M Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari appointed him to the post for the next three years, IU acting registrar SM Abdul Latif said on Friday.

He was appointed to the post as the tenure of the previous chairman, Professor Atiqur Rahman, came to an end, he added.

A day after the University Grants Commission (UGC) directed for closing evening courses at all public universities, authorities of Jagannath University (JnU) and Comilla University (CoU) on Thursday announced not to enroll any new student for such courses.

However, those have already enrolled can complete their courses, they said.

Public relations, information and publication office of JnU issued a press release in this regard while Cumilla University Registrar Prof Dr Abu Taher confirmed the development.

Noting that running of evening courses tarnishes the features and reputation of public universities, the UGC on Thursday ordered the closure of such courses at all the public universities.

It came up with the order in a letter sent to all the public universities containing a 13-point directive about properly following the rules and regulations in the higher educational institutions.

The directives came just two days after President Abdul Hamid had said commercial courses are turning public universities into business institutions disrupting the campus atmosphere.

The other directives include taking UGC’s approval before opening any new department, faculty, programme or institute; taking approval before opening new position or repealing any old one; following rules and university law during appointment, promotion and upgradation of teachers, officials and staff; ensuring security in halls, offices and campus for them; taking and implementing awareness programmes against sexual harassment, ragging, terrorism, drugs and militancy, and starting academic activities, taking exams and publishing results as per the schedule.

While speaking at the 52nd convocation of Dhaka University on Monday, the President said commercial courses are turning public universities into business institutions disrupting the campus atmosphere. “Thousands of graduates are being produced every year with these commercial courses. A particular class of teachers is making profits [from these courses] … and turning the universities into business institutions.”

President Hamid, also the Chancellor of the university, noted that there was a question about how much students are benefiting from these degrees even though a section of teachers is benefiting. 

“This is disturbing the education atmosphere at the universities. Many public universities assume the character of private universities at night … This is unacceptable,” he said.
 

The authorities of Dhaka University (DU) have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the Martyred Intellectuals Day on December 14.

Bangladesh marks December 14 as Martyred Intellectuals Day to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces and their collaborators in 1971 during the country's Liberation War.

Marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day, the DU authorities will be hoisting black flags at the residence of Vice-Chancellor and other important buildings at 6.15am on December 14, assemblage of students, teachers, officials and workers at Aparajeya Bangla at 6.30 am and placing wreaths at the graveyard on the premises of university's central mosque, Jagannath Hall premises' mausoleums at different residential areas at 6.35am.

Later they will proceed towards Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in the city's Mirpur to pay tributes to the martyred intellectuals.

A discussion will be held at the Teacher-Student Centre at 11am while special prayers will be offered at the Central Mosque and other mosques in residential halls after Johr prayers seeking peace of the souls of martyred.

Noting that running of evening courses tarnishes the features and reputation of public universities, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has ordered the closure of such courses at all the public universities.

It came up with the order in a letter sent to all the public universities containing a 13-point directive on Wednesday about properly following the rules and regulations in the higher educational institutions.

The directives came just two days after President Abdul Hamid had said commercial courses are turning public universities into business institutions disrupting the campus atmosphere.

The other directives include taking UGC’s approval before opening any new department, faculty, programme or institute; taking approval before opening new position or repealing any old one; following rules and university law during appointment, promotion and upgradation of teachers, officials and staff; ensuring security in halls, offices and campus for them; taking and implementing awareness programmes against sexual harassment, ragging, terrorism, drugs and militancy, and starting academic activities, taking exams and publishing results as per the schedule.

While speaking at the 52nd convocation of Dhaka University on Monday, the President said commercial courses are turning public universities into business institutions disrupting the campus atmosphere. “Thousands of graduates are being produced every year with these commercial courses. A particular class of teachers is making profits [from these courses] … and turning the universities into business institutions.”

President Hamid, also the Chancellor of the university, noted that there was a question about how much students are benefiting from these degrees even though a section of teachers is benefiting.

“This is disturbing the education atmosphere at the universities. Many public universities assume the character of private universities at night … This is unacceptable,” he said.