United News of Bangladesh

The US Embassy through its EducationUSA platform, in partnership with EdPrograms, organised an exclusive US University Fair at the Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel on Friday. This fair is part of the Fall 2022 EdTour South Asia program, an initiative of EdPrograms that gives US institutions of higher education a chance to meet prospective undergraduate and graduate students in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. Officials from 17 US colleges and universities including  DePaul University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Iowa State University, New York Institute of Technology, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Pace University, Quinnipiac University, Savannah College of Art and Design, Siena College, Stony Brook University, George Washington University, University of Delaware, University of Houston-Victoria, University of Kansas, University of Northern Iowa, University of South Dakota, and Western Kentucky University, participated and guided the US education aspirants throughout the day-long fair. Students at the fair had opportunities to interact and speak with US university admission officials face-to-face about admission requirements and scholarship opportunities, while also receiving tips on submitting their applications properly. 

The postponed SSC examinations on four subjects under the Dinajpur Education Board will be held from October 10 to 13. The exams will start at 11am, Professor Kamrul Islam, chairman of the Education Board told UNB on Thursday. Read: Kurigram SSC examinees form human chain demanding probe into question leak The four subjects are: Mathematics, Physics, Agricultural Science and Chemistry. Dinajpur Board formulated a revised routine to facilitate the declaration of results on time as per the previous schedule, he added. According to the routine, the postponed Mathematics exam will be held on October 10 while Agricultural Science on October 11, Physics on October 12 and Chemistry on October 13. Exams on other subjects will be held as per the schedule. Read: SSC question paper leak: Three more held in Kurigram On Wednesday, SSC examinations on four subjects under the Dinajpur Education Board were postponed due to question papers leak in Kurigram's Bhurungamari upazila. Copies of English 1st paper and 2nd paper of the ongoing SSC examinations went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp on Monday and Tuesday. So far, six people, including headmaster and secretary of Bhurungamari Nehal Uddin Pilot High School, have been apprehended in Kurigram in this connection. Dinajpur Board also formed a three-member probe committee headed by Professor Faraz Uddin Talukdar, college inspector of the Education Board. Legal steps will be taken against those involved in the crime, said Kamrul Islam.

Dhaka University (DU) students will not have to go to the Registrar Building for academic services anymore, Vice-Chancellor (VC) Md Akhtaruzzaman said Wednesday. The assurance came amid allegations that the Registrar Building officials and staff often harass students as they go to the administrative building for academic services. At 2pm today, Akhtaruzzaman went to see Hasnat Abdullah, a masters student of the English department, who had begun fasting unto death Tuesday in front of the university's administrative building to press home an eight-point demand. Hasnat's demands included setting up of a complaint cell for ensuring accountability of administrative officials and stopping harassment of students; digitalisation of all administrative activities as soon as possible and setting up of closed circuit TV cameras in all offices. The masters student ended his hunger today after being assured by the VC that his demands would be met. Later, Hasnat was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as he fell sick during the hunger strike. Read: 24 SUST students go on hunger strike "Students will no longer have to waste their time waiting at the Register Building for hours. From now on, they will get all their academic services from their respective dormitories and departments," Akhtaruzzaman said. "If anyone is harassed there, action will be taken through the hall provost and chairman of the student's department."

Three school teachers, including a headmaster, have been arrested in Kurigram for their alleged role in the leak of question papers from the ongoing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams. The arrestees have been identified as Lutfur Rahman, the headmaster and secretary of Bhurungamari Nehal Uddin Pilot High School, and two assistant teachers of the school, Zubaiyer Hossain and Aminur Rahman. Read: Dinajpur Board postpones SSC exams on 4 subjects A police team conducted a drive in Bhurungamari upazila of Kurigram around midnight on Tuesday and arrested them. Copies of English 1st paper and 2nd paper of the ongoing SSC examinations went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp on Monday and Tuesday. Dinajpur Education Board chairman Prof Quamrul Islam, secretary Prof Zahiruddin, deputy commissioner Rezaul Karim, superintendent of Dinajpur Police Al Asad Mahfuzul Islam, and district secondary education officer Shamsul Alam conducted a probe and found evidence against the trio.

SSC examination on four subjects under the Dinajpur Education Board has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, Dinajpur issued a notice in this regard this morning. The four subjects are: Mathematics, Physics, Agricultural Science and Chemistry. Read: SSC exams: Bangla II's MCQ component postponed under Jashore board New schedule for the exams will be announced soon. Exams on other subjects will be held as per schedule. Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams kicked off to a smooth start in Bangladesh last Thursday. Read SSC: Postponed Bangla II MCQ exam under Jashore board on Sept 30 The exams began at 11 am instead of 10 am, considering the usual traffic jams during peak hours.

At least eight leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Chattogram College unit were injured in a factional clash between two groups over a trivial matter on the campus on Tuesday noon.   The injured are Safayet Hossain Raju of Mathematics fourth year, Hamim Rafsan of HSC second year, Jahedul Ovi of Islamic History second year, Wahidul Rahman Sujon of honours third year, Alif Javed of History first year, Zia Uddin of Social Science masters, Nayeem of History masters and Mohammad Monir of History fourth year.  Read: Dhaka College: 12 accused in case filed over BCL infighting Witnesses and sources said the fellows of the college unit President Mahmudul Karim and General Secretary Shuvas Mollick locked into a clash over an altercation between seniors and juniors around noon.   At one stage, brick chips were pelted from other sides leaving at least eight people injured and several windows of the History department vandalized during the incident. The BCL men sustained injuries to their heads and legs.   President Mahmudul Karim said outsiders led by Shuvas carried out attacks on them without any provocation and several students got injured in the incident.   On the other hand, GS Shuvash claimed some of his younger brothers were injured in the attack by the terrorists and he knew how to control the goons.   Ala Uddin, sub-inspector of Chattogram Medical College Hospital Police outpost, said five BCL men left the hospital after receiving first aid.       

The postponed exam of the Bangla Paper II's MCQ component under Jashore Education Board will be held on September 30. The 20-minute exam will start at 11am, according to a notice signed by Jashore Education Board Chairman Prof Dr Md Ahsan Habib published on Tuesday. On Friday, the Jashore Education Board postponed the Bangla Paper II exam's MCQ component that was scheduled to be held Saturday, as the question paper got leaked due to the wrong question papers being sent to three centres during the Bangla I exam on Thursday. According to sources, the issue came notice after exam officials distributed the question paper of Bangla second paper MCQ exam instead of Bangla first paper among the examinees at Narail’s Kalia Pari Shangkar Pilot Secondary Girls School center, Baishona Kamshia Secondary School, Dighalia Nabaganga Degree College and Itna School and College centers on Thursday - the day of the paper I exam. Exam officials claimed that it wasn’t their mistake, rather it’s the officials of the BG Press in Dhaka who wrongly labeled the packets containing the questions.

The protesting factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Chittagong University unit withdrew their indefinite blockade on Tuesday a day after enforcing it demanding posts in the full committee of the unit. Upon assurance from Chittagong City Awami League General Secretary AJM Nasir Uddin, the six sub-groups of CU BCL withdrew the blockade, said CU BCL vice president Rakibul Hasan Dinar. Another group, followers of Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, also withdrew the blockade, he added. Meanwhile, CU acting registrar Professor SM Monirul Hasan said the main gate of the university and the transport office cannot be put under lock and key from now on. The university administration will issue a notice in this regard. “The administration will take  action if anyone locks the main gate,” he added. A group of BCL leaders and activists started protest around 8 am on Monday and locked the main gate of the university, halting classes and exams of the university. Teachers’ buses could not leave the campus for Chattogram in the morning, university. Besides, the shuttle train service also came to a halt, he added. The agitated BCL activists placed a three-point demand including posts in the committee. Earlier on August 1, BCL activists, who didn't get any posts in the new committee, enforced a blockade programme halting classes and exams of the university following announcement of the full committee of the unit. After three years, the full committee of the CU unit of BCL was announced on July 31.

A student of Dhaka University (DU) was found dead at Jagannath Hall of the university on Tuesday. Amit Sarkar, 24, was a post graduate student of Dhaka University's Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology. Amit, son of Chittaranjan Sarkar of Baliaghat village of Jessore, was found unconscious in the dormitory around 11:30 am and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Amit's roommate Sajib Mitra said, "We live in room number 4011 of Jagannath Hall.  Last night Amit fell asleep around 1.30 am.  When we tried to wake him up around 10:30 am today, he did not respond.  Later, with the help of other roommates, he was taken to DMCH." DMCH police camp in-charge Inspector Md.  Bachchu Mia said the student was brought dead to the emergency unit of the hospital  and the body has been kept at the morgue for post-mortem.

The 55-year-old Belayet Hossain, who tried to get admitted to Dhaka University,  has now got a chance at Varendra University in Rajshahi. Belayet, the father of three children, qualified for the private university in Journalism Department. The result came out on Monday where he found himself qualified. Expressing happiness, Belayet said he filed verbal application to the university authorities to allow him to study  free of cost but the university authorities in replied assured him of taking some measures so he can study there paying a limited money. Belayet, a resident of Keua Panschim Khando under Sreepur upazila of Gazipur has proved once again that age should be no barrier to attaining any kind of goal or success in life: at this age. Belayet passed his Higher Secondary Examination (HSC) this year and is currently attending a university coaching centre. To make his dream come true, he appeared the admission test of the ‘Gha’ unit on June 29, under Social Science Faculty to try and gain admission to the Department of Mass Communication of Journalism. But unfortunately he failed to succeed in it due to many barriers. Without formal qualifications, Belayet has been working as the Sreepur correspondent for Daily Karatoa. Now he wants to flourish his journalism career by adding first an undergraduate and then hopefully a post-graduate degree in journalism to his resume.  Belayet said he had prepared himself for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in 1983. However, he couldn’t sit the exam eventually due to poverty. He prepared for the SSC exam again in 1988 but the floods that year put paid to his hopes of sitting the exam. Later, he got a chance to start his career as a photojournalist. In his personal life, he is the father of two sons and one daughter. However, his children have not shown much interest in continuing their studies. Unable to have his dreams of education fulfilled through them, Belayet at one point decided to hit the books himself. In 2019, he passed Dakhil (equivalent to SCC) from a madrasah and then the HSC in 2021 under Technical Education Board. His educational journey has obviously not been a straightforward one. He has endured ridicule from relatives and villagers. But Belayet paid them no heed.