United News of Bangladesh

Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel has said new universities shouldn't burden themselves with running undergraduate-level courses at the start of their journey “Why are the new universities conducting undergraduate courses from the start? Undergraduate courses of the government colleges should be monitored and postgraduate courses will be done separately by the university,” he said. The minister said this while exchanging views with Bangladesh Bishwabidyalay Parishad, an organization of vice-chancellors of public universities, at the auditorium of the International Mother Language Institute in the capital's Segunbagicha on Monday. The start is a challenging time for a new university, the education minister said. “We should do research development from there with a full setup.” Nowfel said in 2014, the prime minister asked to ensure academic monitoring by bringing all colleges or centenary colleges under the respective university. He advised the vice-chancellors of all public universities to take steps in this regard. “The Open University is monitoring non-formal education across the country, then why can't Chittagong University monitor Chittagong College? Once upon a time, it did. If there was the capacity to do it before, then now the system should increase further. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself has included seven colleges in Dhaka University on her own initiative. There may be challenges there, too. We are overcoming that challenge. Students blocked the road. But we didn't move,” he said. “The quality of the seven colleges has improved. If Dhaka University can work on academic standard monitoring, why can't other universities?” He indicated that the ministry will do so if the law is to be amended in these cases. Referring to the prime minister's directives, the education minister said all the universities are at the district level, the government colleges in those districts, their academies will do the work of monitoring.

The government's Livestock and Dairy Development Project (LDDP) would train 300 field veterinarians from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and 300 from Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) to use ultrasonogram machines. A workshop on "Training on Use and Basics of Ultrasonogram Machine" was inaugurated at the conference room of the Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine on Monday. Nowfel to prioritise innovation, performance over ceremonial aspects The Department of Surgery and Obstetrics at BAU organised the workshop, funded by LDDP. BAU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Emdadul Haque Chowdhury was present as the chief guest at the programme, presided over by Associate Professor Dr Momena Khatun. Head, Department of Surgery and Obstetrics. Professor of the Faculty of Veterinary, Dr Md Abdul Awal, was present as a special guest. Heads of different departments and teachers of the Veterinary Faculty were also present on the occasion. Prime Minister's Gold Medalist returns awards for education in disgust over corrupt teacher recruitment process at RU The workshop was coordinated by Dr Nasrin Sultana Juyena, professor, Department of Surgery and Obstetrics. She appreciated the initiative of the government to create smart agriculture and skilled veterinarians. Venice hosts congress of Bangladeshi students in northern Italy VC Emdadul hoped to reflect the results of the training at the field level as well as emphasise enhancing the skills of the veterinarians.

 The Association of Bangladeshi Students in Northern Italy (ABSNI) under the patronage of the Consulate of Bangladesh in Milan held its second congress at the Italian city of Venice recently. This annual event aims at providing valuable insights and guidance to Bangladeshi students pursuing their dreams in Italy. This year’s Congress featured a video message from Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen inspiring and motivating the students to excel in their studies and professional career in Italy. The Foreign Secretary noted that by dint of talent and hard work, the Bangladeshi students can secure managerial spots in the competitive Italian job market. A panel of experts comprising academics, recruiters, immigration lawyers, and senior officials offered valuable ideas and thoughts to the graduate level students who will be seeking professional career and entrepreneurial venture in Italy and elsewhere. Ambassador of Bangladesh to Italy Md Monirul Islam attended the event as the Chief Guest while the Bangladesh Consul General in Milan M J H Jabed was the Special Guest. Ambassador Monirul Islam urged upon the students to extract the best from modern technology and convert themselves into resourceful individuals. He said that the embassy and the Consulate are always ready to extend all necessary support, particularly paperwork, for the students so that they can attend their studies without any hassle. Consul General MJH Jabed, in his remarks, noted that some participants of last year’s Congress have successfully engaged themselves in the job market of Italy. He expressed the hope that the Bangladeshi students would be able to prove their indispensability to the local recruiters in the future. Dr. Raffaello Cossu, a distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of Padova, said that Bangladesh is on the right track to invest in higher education, which would pay dividends as Bangladesh graduates into a developing country. The Honorary Consul of Bangladesh in Venice Fabrizio D'Avino spoke with students about the cultural exchange and opportunities in Italy, including the process of obtaining a work permit in Italy. Senior Researcher at the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change, Dr. Jeremy Pal discussed the value of innovation and research in combating climate change, enticing students to help solve global issues. Managing Director of INEVO, Roberto Fagarazzi, shared insights on the professional landscape in Italy and provided career guidance to students. Speaking about opportunities in the technology sector, Eusuf Daud from HCL Technologies emphasized the need for skilled workers and what it takes to stand out and have a bright future. The discussion session was followed by a Q/A session where students had the opportunity to seek clear views from the speakers on issues pertaining to their transition from student to professional in Italy. Dr. Shouro Dasgupta of Venice Ca Foscari University moderated the session. The second congress of the Association of Bangladeshi Students in Northern Italy served as a platform for students to gain valuable knowledge and networking opportunities with professionals and entrepreneurs in diverse fields. The Congress was followed by a short cultural event, in which a Bangladeshi student performed on a Tagore song, making the event more colourful and fostering a sense of bondage among the participants.

 Diverging from the conventional path, new Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel is set to commence his journey with innovative initiatives. After taking the oath as minister on Thursday, he is scheduled to assume office for the first time on Sunday. In this regard, the minister will hold a meeting with all ministry officials, department heads, and institution leaders to exchange greetings and ideas. Notably, he has directed that there will be no elaborate ceremony for greeting or other unproductive activity during this inaugural event. Insiders revealed that Nowfel wishes to prioritise performance over ceremonial aspects. Many within the ministry see this directive as a novel approach. Some are expressing that this decision reflects respect for the outgoing education minister. In an official notice issued by the Ministry of Education on Saturday (December 13), it was announced that the new education minister would extend greetings and engage in discussions with all employees and heads of departments/agencies in both the Secondary and Higher Education, and Vocational and Madrasa Education divisions. The event is scheduled for 3 PM at the auditorium of the International Mother Language Institute. The notice also mentioned that Nowfel has advised against repeating the traditional presentation of flowers during the upcoming greetings and exchange of ideas session.  

A brilliant former law student of Rajshahi University (RU), who claims to have topped both his undergratuate and post-graduate classes, announced he is returning the prizes he received from the government for outstanding academic performances, including the ‘Prime Minister's Gold Medal Award’. Md Nurul Huda, who is currently practicing in the Supreme Court as a lawyer, framed his action as a surrender in the face of the 'corruption, irregularities and nepotism' he encountered in the teacher recruitment process at RU, when he tried to join its law faculty and pursue a career in academia. He also announced that he would return RU’s gold medal award on the same ground. Former student Md Nurul Huda came up with the announcements at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday. Huda said he "lost to the graft and nepotism in the recruitment of teachers" when applying for a post in the university, despite securing outstanding results in his Honours and Masters. He stood first in both LLB and LLM examinations and secured a CGPA of 3.64 out of 4. He obtained the ‘University Gold Medal’ in 2017 and the ‘Prime Minister's Gold Medal’ in 2018. Calling education the backbone of a nation, he alleged that financial transactions, nepotism and irregularities in such important issues as recruitment of teachers in the universities, can only spell the destruction of the country's education system. “I am rejecting the Prime Minister's Gold Medal protesting corruption, irregularities and nepotism in the recruitment of teachers in different universities of the country, including Rajshahi University,” he said. Relaying his own experience with corruption in the recruitment process for three teachers for his department in 2018, Huda alleged that the then pro vice chancellor (Pro VC) and also one of the members of the recruitment board, Chowdhury Mohammad Jakaria, proposed a recruitment scheme that would generate kickbacks for a clique within the faculty.

Newly-installed Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel has said there might be some changes in curriculum and assessment methods.  He said this during a discussion with the Education Reporters Association, Bangladesh (ERAB) on Friday. ""The new curriculum presents several challenges. When it comes to the challenges of assessment methods, I must say that we are receiving various inputs for the new curriculum. Changes need to be made in the assessment methods, and there must be further adjustments in the new curriculum," he said. "We want to incorporate the skills related to the workplace into our curriculum. This way, our students can plan their education based on the subject of the workplace and contribute to the education system," he added.    

Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, who served as Deputy Minister of Education last time, has been appointed as next education minister. The portfolio was distributed after the oath-taking ceremony at Bangabhaban on Thursday evening. Mohibul Hasan replaced Dr Dipu Moni. He was elected from Chattogram-9 in 2018 as a Bangladesh Awami League candidate and appointed as the Deputy Minister of Education in the 4th Cabinet of Sheikh Hasina. Born in Chattogram, Chowdhury graduated from London School of Economics with a law and anthropology degree and was called as a barrister of Lincoln's Inn following post graduation from the University of Law. A total of 36 ministers took oath as members of the new cabinet on Thursday. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to the ministers held at Bangabhaban.

Students from across Bangladesh will be able to attend International School Dhaka (ISD) with reduced fees under a new scholarship scheme.  The first International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Bangladesh, ISD, has launched the scholarship programme to mark its 25 years and offer opportunities to diverse groups, according to a press release. Accordingly, it has started accepting applications for terms starting in January and August 2024 for grades 9, 10, and 11, which span students between the ages of 14 and 17 years. "We offer exceptional opportunities for talented and deserving students to join us in our development and be a critical part of our future. As an international school, diversity is significant, which is why we provide more opportunities for families nationwide to benefit from the world-class learning experience,” said Director of the School, Steve Calland-Scoble.  He urged the parents who are ambitious for their children's future to get in contact and discover how they could become part of a "vibrant and successful community." Each scholarship will be offered for a year, with the expectation that it will be extended in the future, subject to student performance and meeting other requirements, said the release. The winners can get up to 90 percent waiver on school fees and also get full waiver on their admission fee, it said. New students will join an international community and benefit from the teaching of the IB curriculum. The students who secure scholarships will need to demonstrate leadership capabilities and a commitment to service learning and co-curricular activities, the release also said. The scholarship details and application form are available on ISD’s official website (https://www.isdbd.org/scholarship-program).

Professor Dr Nizamul Karim was appointed chairman of the Cumilla Board of Secondary and Higher Education on Tuesday. Prior to this role, he served as the director general (DG) of the National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM). The appointment was announced through a notification issued on Tuesday, signed by Chowdhury Samia Yasmin, deputy secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the Ministry of Education. Born in 1966 in Cumilla’s Chauddagram, Nizamul completed his SSC and HSC examinations from the Cumilla Education Board. He pursued his honour's and master’s degrees in management from Chittagong University. Additionally, he obtained a PhD in management from the Institute of Bangladesh Studies (IBS) of Rajshahi University. Nizamul Karim is a BCS (General Education) cadre officer. He began his career in 1993 as a lecturer in management at Comilla Victoria Government College and achieved the position of professor in 2017. Throughout his professional journey, he worked in the fields of management and education administration, holding various significant positions.    

New textbook distribution among primary and secondary school students began across the country on Monday. The festival was held at 10 am on the premises of National Government Primary School in the capital's Mirpur. State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Ministry Md Zakir Hossain was present at the event as the chief guest. Secretary Farid Ahmed was present as special guest with Director General of the Directorate of Primary and Mass Education Shah Rezwan Hayat in the chair.  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday launched the distribution of free textbooks for the academic year 2024. According to the Ministry of Education, although there was no central distribution programme for secondary level text books, different institutions across the country are distributing books among the students. Textbook distribution activities will continue until afternoon and all students will get their books, the ministry said. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) said that it has delivered 100% books up to class seven to the upazilas. The upazila education office is coordinating and distributing the books as per the demand of the educational institutions. But 20-25% of books for class eight and nine are still not printed. The rest of the books will be printed and delivered to the students this month, NCTB said. The ministries concerned have taken necessary steps to distribute 30,70,83,517 copies of new textbooks among 3,81,28,324 students throughout the country. The government has so far distributed over 464,78,29,883 copies of free textbooks among students up to secondary levels across the country since 2010. Since 2017, the government has been distributing braille books among visually impaired students alongside distributing Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo and Sadri version books among students from the ethnic groups to study in their mother languages.