United News of Bangladesh

At least 120 primary school teachers were injured on Saturday afternoon (8th November 2025) when police swung into action to disperse their protest march at Shahbagh. Witnesses said the clash broke out around 4 pm when police intercepted the teachers’ ‘Pen Surrender March’ that began from the Central Shaheed Minar towards Shahbagh, demanding implementation of their three-point charter of demand, including a 10th-grade pay scale. “Police attacked us without any provocation. In protest, teachers across the country will observe a complete work abstention from tomorrow (Sunday, 9th November 2025),” said Rakib Hossain, an assistant teacher at Mugakathi Government Primary School in Uzirpur, Barishal. Witnesses said police resorted to baton charge and fired water cannons and sound grenades after teachers broke through police barricades near Shahbagh Police Station. DMP defends police action to disperse teachers’ gathering at Shahbagh The marchers were eventually dispersed, leaving the area tense. More than 120 injured teachers were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for treatment, said inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the hospital police camp. “Many have received treatment at the emergency unit, while some have already left after first aid,” he added.

Assistant teachers of government primary schools staged  sit-in at the central Shaheed Minar on Saturday, demanding implementation of the 10th grade pay scale and other key benefits. The protest was held under the banner of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council. The teachers have vowed to continue their movement until their demands are met. Their main demands include granting assistant teachers the 10th grade pay scale, removing complications in obtaining higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 percent departmental promotion. Primary-school midday meal programme to resume in Oct: Adviser “The demand for the 10th grade pay scale has been ongoing for a long time. Since it has not been implemented, we have now taken to the streets,” said Mohammad Mozammel Hossain Sakib, an assistant teacher at Suhrid Palli Government Primary School in Nangalkot Upazila of Comilla. “We have been continuing our movement for the 10th grade. The government has proposed the 11th grade, but we want the 10th grade,” he added.      

The ‘Projonnmo Mirsarai Merit Scholarship Examination 2025’ was held in a festive atmosphere across Mirsarai upazila in Chattogram on Saturday. The examination was held simultaneously at four centres -- Baraiarhat Girls’ High School, Mithachhara High School, Mirsarai Government Model High School, and Sarkarhat N.R. High School. The primary level examination took place from 10:00 am to 11:30 am, followed by the secondary level examination from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Deputy Attorney General of Bangladesh and Jamaat-e-Islami nominated parliamentary election candidate for Chattogram-1 (Mirsarai) Advocate Saifur Rahman visited the Baraiarhat Girls’ High School examination centre during the event. He inspected several examination halls and encouraged the participating students. Speaking during the visit, Advocate Saifur Rahman said, “Such merit-based initiatives are truly inspiring for nurturing the nation’s future generation with education and moral values. By developing intellect and confidence, students can play a vital role in nation-building. Projonnmo Mirsarai’s efforts will help guide young minds towards enlightenment, Inshallah.” He exchanged pleasantries with Baraiarhat Girls’ High School Headmaster Enamul Haque, the school’s governing body President Didarul Alam Miyaji, Projonnmo Mirsarai Director Jobayer Alam Emon, President Md Rahim and other officials.  

The Election Commission of Jagannath University (JnU) has published the draft voter list for the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU) and hall union elections 2025. The draft was published on Thursday evening on the official JnUCSU election website. According to the published list, a total of 16,365 students from 41 departments and institutes have been enlisted as eligible voters. The Department of Management Studies has the highest number of voters while the Department of Sculpture has the fewest. According to the Election Commission, copies of the draft list have also been distributed to all departments and institutes. As per the election schedule, objections regarding the draft list will be accepted and resolved between November 9 and 11, with the final voter list to be published on November 12 after verification. Some alleged that the names of some postgraduate students, particularly those with incomplete credits or re-enrollment status, have been omitted from the draft list. JnUCSU Election: Student bodies move to form ‘inclusive panels’ Commission sources attributed the issue to miscommunication between certain departments and the commission and assured that the matter will be resolved by Sunday, ensuring those students’ inclusion in the final list. JnUCSU and hall union elections, slated for December 22, mark the first-ever student union elections in Jagannath University’s history since its establishment.    

Teachers and students of Dhaka University’s Music Department staged a protest rally on the campus on Wednesday, demanding reinstatement of music and physical-training teacher posts in primary education. The demonstration took place in front of the Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture where participants sang the national anthem and raised placards calling for the withdrawal of the decision to abolish the posts. During the event, a memorandum was read out by Dr. Priyanka Gope, Chairperson of the Music Department. Teachers from various departments including Dance Department’s Laboni Banya and Clinical Psychology Department’s Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury along with some  students spoke at the rally. Leaders of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) including Literary and Cultural Affairs Secretary Mosaddiq Ali Ibn Mohammad and cultural affairs secretaries from different halls also expressed solidarity with the protesters. Associate Professor Azizur Rahman of the Music Department said civilization thrives through art, literature, and culture. “ The decision to abolish music teacher posts at the primary level will obstruct the mental and physical development of future generations,” he said. “If we want our children to become complete human beings, can we do that without music, culture, and physical education?” he asked. Times Higher Edu Ranking: Dhaka University climbs 200 places DUCSU Executive Member Hema Chakma alleged that the decision to remove music and physical education from the curriculum came under pressure from certain groups. She urged the interim government to reinstate the positions immediately. Professor Dr. Md Israfil of the Theatre and Performance Studies Department said, “If an order can be given, it can also be withdrawn. A nation cannot progress based on religion alone, culture never stands against religion.”  

Abu Shadik Kayem, vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), on Wednesday night accused “cultural fascists” of running a hateful propaganda campaign targeting AB Zubair and Sarba Mitra Chakma over their work against illegal shops and drug trafficking on campus. In a Facebook post, Kayem said the group, while claiming to oppose DUCSU activities, has adopted an increasingly extreme and violent posture and is attempting to dehumanise individuals by portraying them as “monsters” or turning art into a tool for spreading terror. “They have revived the old politics of dehumanisation from the era of the murderers of Hasina,” he wrote, adding that DUCSU will continue to resist efforts to make people “killable” through such portrayals. Kayem warned that if the group practises politics of making people "killable” rather than engaging in political debate, it will face consequences similar to Awami League. There is no room for indulgence in all these "cultural terrorisms" in the new Bangladesh, he added.

The authorities of Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia on Wednesday suspended three students for two semesters and issued formal warnings to nine others over their involvement in the assault and harassment of journalists during a campus football match. The decision was approved at the university’s 271st Syndicate meeting held on October 30 and announced through an official order signed by Acting Registrar Professor Dr Monjurul Haque. The suspended students are Nahid Hasan, Riaz Morshed, and Afsana Parvin Tina from the Economics Department (2020–22 session). They have been barred from attending classes, examinations, and all academic activities for two consecutive semesters. The nine other students - Saiful Islam, Milton Mia, Moshiur Rahman, Rakib Hossain, Sourav Dutta, Minhajul Abedin, Sabbir Hossain, Sourav Hossain Sajib, and Faridul Alam Panna - were just given formal warnings for their limited involvement in the incident. The incident occurred on July 12 during a departmental football match when several students clashed with journalists, leading to physical assaults. Following the incident, the university formed a five-member probe committee on July 14, headed by Professor Mohammad Mizanur Rahman of the Pharmacy Department. The committee collected evidence, interviewed witnesses, and later submitted its report to the Vice-Chancellor. The university emphasized that the disciplinary actions aim to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, stressing that attacks on journalists are incompatible with academic values and the Islamic principles of justice and integrity.

University of Dhaka (DU) has once again been ranked as the top university in Bangladesh in the QS Asia University Rankings, published by the UK-based education and research organization Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). According to the rankings released on Tuesday, Dhaka University secured the 132nd position in Asia and ranked 17th among South Asian universities with 63.3 overall score. The information was confirmed in a press release issued by the university’s Public Relations Office on Wednesday. Last year, Dhaka University also held the top position among Bangladeshi universities in the QS Asia Rankings. This year’s list includes 1,529 universities across Asia, with the University of Hong Kong taking the top spot, followed by Peking University in China. The ranking primarily considered factors such as academic performance, number of PhD holders, and international student enrollment. Globally, Dhaka University ranks 584th in the QS World University Rankings. Recently, in the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings, Dhaka University also shared the top spot among Bangladeshi institutions, advancing 200 positions to place within the global top 1,000 universities. In addition, 35 faculty members and researchers from Dhaka University were listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists 2025, published by Stanford University and Elsevier, the highest number from any institution in Bangladesh. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Niaz Ahmad Khan congratulated all teachers, students, and staff for this achievement. In the latest rankings, 46 universities from Bangladesh have been listed. Notable rankings include North South University at 149th, BUET at 165th, Daffodil International University at 221st, BGC at 260th, Jahangirnagar University at 304th, Rajshahi University at 312th, SUST at 337th, Bangladesh Agricultural University at 378th, CUET at 385th, KUET at 414th, Islamic University at 448th, Khulna University at 454th, RUET at 470th, DUET at 486th, and East West University at 491st.

Some 403 accused students at Dhaka University involved in the illegal and violent incidents during the mass uprising of 2024, aka the 'JUlyJult20125have been directed to submit a written explanation to the Proctor’s Office within the next 7 working days, showing cause why they should not be permanently expelled from the university. This information was stated in a notice on Tuesday signed by Saifuddin Ahmed, Proctor and Member-Secretary of the Investigation Committee formed to probe the illegal and violent incidents that took place on the campus during the July movement. The notice said that a fact-finding committee was formed to identify those involved in the illegal and violent incidents that occurred on the Dhaka University campus between 15 July and 05 August 2024 and to bring them under administrative action. The committee submitted a report accusing 128 students, and after detailed discussion in the Syndicate meeting on 17 March 2025, those students were temporarily expelled from the university. The notice further mentioned that, for further investigation of the illegal and violent incidents that later occurred on campus, a five-member investigation committee was formed by the Syndicate. In its second meeting, the committee found involvement of a total of 403 students, including the previously accused 128. They have been instructed to submit a written explanation to the Proctor’s Office within 7 (seven) working days from the date of publication of the notice, showing cause as to why they should not be permanently expelled from Dhaka University for the offenses committed. Otherwise, one-sided action will be taken against them according to the rules of Dhaka University.

A madrasah teacher was shot dead and three others injured when unidentified assailants opened fire and hurled bombs targeting a BNP office in Khulna on Sunday night. The deceased was identified as Imdadul Haque, a teacher of Bochhitola Nurani Hafizia Madrasah and a former teacher of Yusuf School. The injured are Mamun Sheikh, 45, organising secretary of Jogipole Union BNP; Belal Khan, 55; and Mizanur Rahman, 58. BNP leader killed, four injured in Savar attack Officer-in-charge of Khanjahan Ali Police Station Md Tuhinuzzaman said the attack took place around 10 pm at the office of BNP leader and Union Parishad member Mamun Sheikh on Kuet Road. He said the teacher, along with others, had gone to the office to seek donations for a religious gathering when armed men on motorcycles attacked them, leaving four people injured with bullets. The victims were taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), where physicians declared Imdadul dead. Kazi Mizanur Rahman, president of Khanjahan Ali thana unit of BNP, said the gunmen had targeted organising secretary Mamun Sheikh, who is currently undergoing treatment at KMCH.