United News of Bangladesh

The resident students of Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall of Dhaka University have staged a sit-in in front of the vice-chancellor's (VC) house demanding the resignation of their provost. They gathered in front of the VC's house around 9.30pm Thursday to protest "irregularities in seat allocation, lack of emergency facilities, poor quality of food in the canteen, student harassment, inadequate water filters and cooking facilities." The agitating students demanded the resignation of Hall Provost Nazmun Nahar, professor of the Department of Geography and Environment, saying: "She does not care about the students and is always busy with her personal affairs." Preferring anonymity, one of the protesting students said, "The hall provost has been involved in many irregularities. It takes a minimum of 15 days for us to get a document signed by the hall provost even if it is urgent. She takes Tk4,000 from every student every year to allocate seats although it is not allowed by the university regulations." At one stage, four protesting students went to the VC's house to express their grievances. DU Proctor Professor AKM Golam Rabbani said: "The students shared their sufferings and problems with us. They have some valid demands and points. We will try to resolve the issues through discussion." After the meeting, the students returned to their dormitory at around 11:45pm. However, Provost Nazmun Nahar could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts. Read more: DU punishes 114 students    

The "Safe Back to School" campaign alliance, which was formed following the Covid situation to bring back students to school, has started a new journey to ensure inclusive quality education for all in the country, under a new name: "Education Alliance Bangladesh – EAB." The declaration of this new name came at the Education Summit 2023 Wednesday in Dhaka. "Let's Work Together to Ensure Inclusive Quality Education in Bangladesh," is the new slogan of the alliance. During the opening ceremony, Onno van Manen, Save the Children Country Director said: "This alliance aims to continue working together so that we can reach a larger number of children who require our assistance. We need to elevate the voices of the children through this platform." The alliance will support the government to mitigate challenges related to quality and inclusive education. It will work with the government to strengthen the education system by taking initiatives to popularise technical/vocational education and fostering partnerships among education actors for accelerating a joyful learning environment. The closure of educational institutions from March 17, 2020, to February 14, 2021, required the launch of mass awareness campaigns as it triggered children dropout rates from schools in both urban and rural areas, causing an increase in child labour and child marriage. Against this backdrop, national and international NGOs working for the education sector in Bangladesh united themselves under the Safe Back to School. Safe Back to School's awareness campaign, research study, and advocacy-related discussions with government officials and stakeholders underlined the need for long-term activities to ensure the scope for education for all children in Bangladesh. The alliance members are Brac, British Council Bangladesh, CAMPE, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Educo Bangladesh, FIVDB, Friendship, Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh, Humanity and Inclusion, Jagorani Chakra Foundation, Leonard Cheshire, Plan International Bangladesh, Room to Read, Save the Children, Sesame Workshop Bangladesh, Sight Savers Bangladesh, Stromme Foundation, Teach for Bangladesh, Voluntary Service Overseas, World Vision Bangladesh, and Young Power in Social Action. Read more: 'Safe Back to School’ campaign pledges full support for reopening    

Pro-Awami League (AL) Bangabandhu Panel teachers gained a landslide victory in the Jahangirnagar University Teachers' Association (DUTA) election Wednesday. The voting was held at the university teachers' club from 9am to 1pm. The results were announced in the evening. The pro-AL panel bagged 11 posts of the 15-member executive committee with Professor Farid of the physics department elected as president and Professor M Shamim Kaiser of the Institute of Information and Technology as general secretary. Also, from the panel, Sabbir Alam of mathematics, Ahemd Reza of English, Nazmul Hasan of Bangla, Mohammad Tariqul Islam of government and politics, Mahfuza Khatun of finance and banking, Md Mizanur Rahman of geography and environment, Suborno Karmakar of chemistry, Mohammad Shafi-Ur-Rahman of urban and regional planning and Farha Matin Julia of biochemistry and molecular biology, departments were elected members. Read more: Pro-AL Blue Panel sweeps DUTA polls Monowar Hossain of the zoology department and Professor Mohammad Shafiqul of the economics department were elected as vice-president and treasurer, respectively, from the BNP-backed Sammilito Shikkhak Samaj. Also, from the panel, Borhan Uddin of the biochemistry and molecular biology department and Mohammad Rezaul Rakib of the geography and environment department were elected joint secretary and executive committee member.

The authorities of Dhaka University have suspended 113 students and expelled another on different charges including for breaching rules and regulations and using unfair means in examinations. The decision to punish the students was taken at a meeting of the Disciplinary Committee of the university with Vice-chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman in the chair. DU Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani confirmed the matter saying that the decision will come into force after being passed by the syndicate. The expelled student is Jim Najmul of Masterda Surja Sen Hall of the university. He has been permanently expelled for eve-teasing as the allegation brought against him was proved, he said. Besides, a total of 113 students were suspended for various periods on account of using unfair means in examinations, eve-teasing, behaviour contradictory to university rules, and for taking drugs. Read more: Female student complains of harassment at DU dorm The proctor said that the committee awarded the punishment to 113 of the university and its affiliated colleges for different periods. Some 109 students from the affiliated colleges were suspended from two to four years for using unfair means in examinations and misconducting with teachers during discharging duties. The other four students belonging to the DU were also suspended for violating discipline for a maximum two years.

The Deputy  Commissioners have proposed to the Education Minister to draft a code of conduct for private educational institutions under the monthly pay order (MPO). Education Minister Dipu Moni revealed this at a press briefing for the Deputy Commissioners Conference 2023, organised by the Cabinet division at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Tuesday. Read more: 2 probe committees to be formed over errors in textbooks: Dipu Moni “We have educational institutions under MPO, for which a code of conduct has been proposed. We think this is a good proposal. We will work on it,” she said. The DCs also talked about separating secondary and higher education, she said. “We feel that if we separate it, the synergies will reduce. So we have to think more about this issue.” They (DCs) also recommended changing the vacation time in the educational institutions of Haor region through creating a flexible calendar, as different regions of the country get flooded at different times. “We are already working on creating a separate calendar with everything in mind,” said the education minister. Besides, the DCs suggested a full-time television channel on education, she added. Read more: New curriculum books may contain mistakes: Dipu Moni Another proposal made by the DCs is to change the designation of education officers after specifying as District Education Officer, Upazila Education Officer, District Primary Education Officer, Upazila Secondary Education Officer, District Secondary Education Officer, Upazila Secondary Education Officer. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the three-day conference of deputy commissioners (DCs) at Shapla Hall of her office here in the city.

Two high-level probe committees will be formed to identify those responsible for mistakes and distortions in the textbooks distributed this year, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday. “I see identifying errors in the textbooks very positively,” she told the reporters at a press briefing on the corrections of mistakes in the textbooks of the new academic year at the International Mother Language Institute of the capital. Read more: If there are errors in textbooks, they will be corrected: Dipu Moni The outline of these two committees will be presented by next Sunday (January 29, 2023), she said, adding that officials from the Prime Minister's Office, Education, Primary and Mass Education ministries and related ministries will be involved in the committee. A committee will consist of experts for each subject and the ministry will provide an online form for revision of textbooks, she said. In this form, people from the country and abroad will have an opportunity to inform the ministry about errors or inconsistencies in textbooks, said Dipu Moni. Experts will review all the textbooks again and will take note of the mistakes identified in the textbooks and fix them and those corrections will be sent to the educational institutions, she added. Read more: NCTB gives corrections for 9 mistakes in 3 textbooks of new curriculum The other committee will be formed with the  representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, representatives from two ministries, representatives from National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) and officials of the ministries concerned, the education minister said. “It will be investigated whether the mistakes and controversial topics in the textbook were intentionally added or not.” Earlier, NCTB provided corrections for nine mistakes they found in three textbooks of classes 9 and 10 this year. NCTB issued a notification in this regard on January 15, 2023 and posted the corrections on their website. Read more: Zafar Iqbal admits plagiarism charge in new textbook, expresses disappointment Besides, eminent writer and academician Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and Professor Hasina Khan expressed regret over the plagiarised content found in the class 7 science textbook that they had edited. They also took responsibility in a statement. As part of the new curriculum from this year, science textbooks for classes 6 and 7 were printed and distributed to students as ‘Anusandhani Path’. In an article published in a daily, a complaint was raised over copying some sections of this book from the National Geographic educational site.

More than half of children with disabilities in Bangladesh are not enrolled in any formal education, according to new national-level data revealed on Tuesday. The findings come from the recently-published National Survey on Persons with Disabilities (NSPD) 2021, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) with technical support from UNICEF. The survey reveals that among children with disabilities (aged 5-17 years), only 65 per cent are enrolled in primary school and only 35 per cent are enrolled in secondary school. In total, 60 percent of children with disabilities aged 5-17 years are not in education.\ Read more: Learning Disabilities in Children: Types, symptoms, ways to help The survey also found that children with disabilities who do attend formal education lag behind academically by over two years for their age on average. “The data from this national survey – the first of its kind by the BBS – highlights the challenges children with disabilities face growing up. The findings will support the Government to formulate policies and initiatives to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities in Bangladesh,” said Iftekhairul Karim, Project Director, BBS. According to the survey, 1.7 percent of children in Bangladesh live with one of the twelve types of disability defined in the Persons with Disability Rights and Protection Act 2013, while 3.6 per cent of children face functional difficulty in at least one of the domains of seeing, hearing, walking, fine motor skills, communication, learning, playing or controlling behaviour. “The new data highlights just how many children with disabilities in Bangladesh are losing out on education. We need to do more for these children. We need to provide the support and services they need, and we need to create an inclusive environment where they can thrive,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh. Data from the survey also shed light on the difficulties that children with disabilities face as adults. Read more: Youth with disabilities deprived of learning, employment scopes: Study Only one third of persons with disabilities of working age are employed, with women with disabilities far more likely to be unemployed compared to men. And while 90 percent of persons with disabilities who are registered with the Government receive disability allowances, the vast majority of them – about 65 per cent – remain unregistered. Early identification and management of childhood disabilities are critical to maximizing the potential of children. It is also critical to create an inclusive environment where families and service-providers can support children with disabilities to participate actively in all spheres of life. UNICEF works with the government and partners in Bangladesh to champion the rights of children with disabilities to education, healthcare and future employment, and to remove social stigma and prejudice.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has started an investigation against former vice-chancellor of Khulna Agricultural University (KAU), Dr Shahidur Rahman Khan, for his alleged involvement in irregularities in the recruitment of 426 teachers and staff members for the university. KAU authorities on Monday (January 23, 2023) submitted documents related to last three years’ recruitment to the ACC. The development came after a national daily published a report in September last year stating the irregularities in the recruitment process of Khulna Agricultural University. It said some 426 teachers and staff members were appointed for KAU against 350 students and also 43 departments were opened in just three years. Read more: Corruption in NSU’s land acquisition: Hearing on 4 trustees’ bail plea Thursday Later, the University Grants Commission (UGC) conducted an investigation and found anomalies in the recruitment. Based on the report, the education ministry on August 3 last year ordered cancellation of the appointment of 73 teachers and staff members including the relatives of the vice-chancellor. In November last year, ACC took a decision to investigate the irregularities in the recruitment process of KAU and assigned Ershad Mia, deputy director of the ACC, to lead the investigation. The investigation officer on January 2 sent a letter to the university authorities asking to submit recruitment related documents including recruitment notices, candidates' applications, and written test records by January 10. Read more: Irregularities in recruitment: PUST VC freed after 4 hours of confinement The anti-graft agency also requested university authorities to submit a probe report if any investigation was conducted previously in this connection. Later, the inquiry officer extended the deadline till January 23 following the application of university authorities. KAU Registrar Dr Mazharul Anwar on Monday submitted the documents to the investigating officer. Ershad Mia, investigating officer, said he has received some documents and these will be inspected. Read More: UGC asks 4 private universities to stop enrollment for failing to fulfill conditions

Films and television can be strong drivers of social change and can have a transformative effect on society, Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman said Monday. He was speaking at the 11th-anniversary celebration of the Department of Television, Film, and Photography of DU. "This department not only provides professional training but also teaches the students to think critically. It helps them develop an innovative mindset too," Akhtaruzzaman said. "Also, there is an opportunity for this department to further strengthen the industry-academia relationship as the guest teachers of this department are directly connected with the media industry," he added. The daylong programme was held at the Teacher-Student Center (TSC) auditorium of the university. Akhtauzzaman inaugurated the event as the chief guest around 12.30pm. Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor ASM Maksud Kamal and the founding chairman of the Department of Television, Film, and Photography Professor AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan were also present. Read more: Open master’s programs at DU to start from 2022-23 academic session

The Dhaka University Syndicate has taken a decision to admit students from other universities in regular Master's degree courses of the university, subject to the availability of seats. “Students, who have completed their graduation from any recognised (public and private) university of Bangladesh and are willing take master’s degree from Dhaka University, can apply for admission in DU if there are available seats in the department from 2022-23 academic year,” said a policy paper approved by DU syndicate recently. However, applicants from any university other than Dhaka University can apply for the masters programs in Dhaka University if the minimum requirements set by the individual departments meet as the admission process will be controlled and conducted by individual departments and institutes. Read More: ICT division partners withBrac Kumon to spread Japanese method of learning On the other hand, Dhaka University syndicate, the highest policy making authority of DU, has imposed a minimum requirement that the applicants have to obtain at least CGPA 3.25 in their bachelor program though there is no ban on age and academic session. After fulfilling all the requirements set by individual departments and institutes, applicants have to sit for a 100-mark examination and a viva voce to take final admission. The exam will be held against the available seats and top scorers will be allowed to take admission. However, foreign students can also avail this opportunity with the residential facility while Bangladeshi students will not be able to avail residential facilities as they will be considered as Non-resident. Read More: 6th convocation of Jahangirnagar University on February 25 “DU authority has removed the age and academic session ban from this program so that the students from all walks of life can avail this opportunity. In our country, we have a culture that most of our students take admission in post-graduation courses immediately after completing the bachelor’s degree but in most of the countries of the world, students do their master’s program much later. The decision has been taken to ensure inclusiveness quality education,” prof. Zia Rahman, dean of social science faculty told UNB. “As all general students do not enrol in master's programs after graduation, some seats remain available. To provide our best service, both outsider students and former DU students will get the same opportunity by paying the same tuition for the standard Master's program,” he added. Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said, “In order to promote inclusiveness and lifelong learning opportunities for everyone, we are allowing graduates from other public universities and UGC-approved institutions to enrol in our bachelor's programs.” Read More: World keeps silent as Afghan govt stops education for women: PM Hasina “Private universities are also approved by UGC, so student, who completed the undergraduate courses, will be considered as worthy to admit to these masters’ courses and through this they will have the opportunity so take the subject they like,” he added Earlier, students other than Dhaka University could not avail the opportunity to take master’s degree from Dhaka University but for the first time DU took this academic initiative to provide and create an inter-academic, inclusive and lifelong education system.