United News of Bangladesh

The British Council and 10 Minute School have announced a strategic partnership in Dhaka on Tuesday to expand access to internationally recognised English language assessment for learners across Bangladesh. Under this collaboration, 10 Minute School learners will now have the opportunity to take the Primary English Test and Secondary English Test — assessments designed and administered by the British Council to evaluate real-life English skills. The initiative aims to build students’ confidence, track progress, and align their learning with global standards. The Primary English Test, targeting learners aged 9 to 12, covers reading, writing, listening, and speaking, while the Secondary English Test, for 13 to 17-year-olds, assesses more advanced abilities to demonstrate readiness for higher education and career opportunities. Maxim Raimann, Exams Director of British Council Bangladesh, described the partnership as “a pivotal moment” in widening access to English language assessment. “By working with 10 Minute School, we are confident that we will reach a wider range of learners in both urban and rural communities,” he said, adding that the tests will help students develop practical language skills needed for academic and professional success. From 10 Minute School, Programme & Partnership Lead Shams Asif Chowdhury said the collaboration reflects a shared vision to make learning outcomes more transparent and meaningful. “By introducing the Secondary English Test and Primary English Test, we are helping students showcase their true potential and giving parents a clearer picture of their child’s progress,” he added. British Council hosts Young Learner Art Competition 2025 The signing ceremony was attended by senior representatives of both organisations, along with educators and media. From the British Council, those present were Maxim Raimann, Country Exams Director, Bangladesh; Tahnee Yeasmin, Head of Business Development; Tabassum Chowdhury, Account Manager for English & Exams; and Rounaq Jahan Nabila, Technical Support Officer. Representatives from 10 Minute School included CEO Ayman Sadiq, Programme & Partnership Lead Shams Asif Chowdhury, Programme Manager Mohammad Risan, and Business & Operations Lead Avipsu Das Gupta.

The collection of nomination forms for the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election has been completed. Against 28 posts, 658 nomination papers have been collected. The chief returning officer provided this information in a press briefing on Tuesday at the Senate building. He said that today students collected 93 forms. In total, 658 forms have been sold. Tomorrow is the last day for submitting nomination forms. After that it will be known how many candidates will contest for which posts. According to the schedule, the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers is August 25. The following day the final list of candidates will be published. What makes DUCSU a leadership incubator? At the briefing, the Chief Returning Officer said, “Only valid students of the university have collected nomination forms for DUCSU. No one has collected nomination under any party identity.” He also said that until the day before voting, if a candidate’s name is found on the list of criminals, there is scope to exclude them from candidacy.

The nomination collection for the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) and Hall Sangsad elections officially closed on Monday, wrapping up a busy week of intense activities on the campus. Intending contestants collected nomination papers during August 12-18 with the last date for submission set for 3pm on August 19. Nomination papers were available at the office of DUCSU Chief Returning Officer Professor Mohammad Jasim Uddin, located on the third floor of the Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, between 10am and 4pm daily. The final list of candidates will be published at 1pm on August 21 after scrutiny. 565 DUCSU Nomination Papers Collected; 1,226 for Hall Sangsads A total of 565 nomination papers have been collected for the upcoming DUCSU elections. On the final day alone, 442 candidates collected their papers, according to the Chief Returning Officer. Besides, 1,226 nominations were collected for the Hall Sangsad elections across 18 residential halls. This surge reflects the high level of student engagement ahead of the much-anticipated polls. Alliances and Panels: Who’s Contesting for What Chhatra Dal Yet to Announce Full Panel: Although Chhatra Dal leaders collected nomination papers individually, the organisation is yet to finalise or announce its full panel by the end of the nomination period. According to sources, the final panel may be revealed later. Among those who collected nomination forms are Mominul Islam Jisan, Joint General Secretary (Central) of Chhatra Dal, who is contesting for Vice President (VP). Other candidates include Abidul Islam Khan (DU Branch), Tanvir Bari Hamim (Kabi Jasimuddin Hall), Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed (Bijoy Ekattor Hall), and central leaders such as Zarif Rahman, Imam Hasen Anik, and others. Islami Chhatra Shibir Announces Full Panel: Islami Chhatra Shibir was among the first to announce a complete 28-member panel. Their nominations include representation from ethnic minorities, injured participants in the July mass uprising, and members from AAP Bangladesh and Inqilab Mancha. Key candidates are Abu Sadiq Kayem (VP), SM Farhad and Mohiuddin Khan (GS) and (AGS) respectively. Portfolio candidates include Iqbal Haider (Science & Technology), Fatima Tasnim Juma (Liberation War & Democratic Movement), Umme Salma (Common Room, Reading Room & Cafeteria), and others across health, law, research, sports, and culture. Left Alliance Fielding Imi and Basu: The Left Alliance has also declared a panel, with Sheikh Iti Afroz Imi standing for Vice President, and Meghmallar Basu, president of the Dhaka University unit of Bangladesh Students’ Union, contesting for General Secretary. Jabir Ahmed Jubel has been nominated for AGS. Their alliance includes candidates from the Students' Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Biplobi Chhatra Maitree, Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Student Council, and Ganotantrik Chhatra Mancha. More names are expected to be released on Tuesday (19 August), including candidates for portfolio-based secretarial positions. Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad Holds Off Panel Declaration BAGCHAS, contesting under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Sangsad, has confirmed participation but withheld the final panel announcement. According to Zahid Ahsan, central member secretary, the panel line-up is still under discussion. However, sources indicate Abdul Quader may run for VP, Abu Baker Majumder for GS, and Ashrefah Khatun for AGS. Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad Enters the Race: Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad announced its panel on Monday afternoon. Key candidates are Bin Yamin Molla (VP), Sabina Yasmin (GS) and Rakibul Islam (AGS). The panel also includes candidates for Science & Technology, Social Services, Sports, Law, Health, and Publications secretaries. Umama Fatima Leads Independent Panel Prominent anti-discrimination activist Umama Fatima has launched an independent panel, collecting nomination papers on Monday. Her likely candidacy for VP may be joined by Al Sadi Bhuiyan for GS and Mohiuddin Mujahid Mahi (President of the DU Journalists’ Association) for AGS. The complete panel is expected to be announced on Tuesday. NCP and Jamaluddin Form Joint Panel: A joint panel led by Jamaluddin Muhammad Khalid, Convener of the Independent Bangladesh Students’ Union, and Mahin Sarkar of the National Chitizen Party (NCP), has been formed. Fateha Sharmin Annie is expected to run for AGS. Election Process and Timeline: Following the submission deadline on 19 August, nomination scrutiny will take place, and the final list of candidates will be published on 21 August at 1pm. Voting Day is scheduled for 9 September, from 8am to 3pm. Results will be announced later that same day. There are a total of 39,775 voters, including 20,871 male and 18,902 female students. More Posts in 2025 DUCSU Polls: This year’s DUCSU election will feature 28 positions, up from 25 in the 2019 polls, in response to growing demands from student organisations. The newly added posts include Research and Publications Secretary, Career Development Secretary, Health and Environment Secretary, Human Rights and Legal Affairs Secretary The last DUCSU election was held on 11 March 2019, after a 28-year gap. In that election, Nurul Haque Nur was elected Vice President, Golam Rabbani as General Secretary, and Saddam Hossain as Assistant General Secretary.

A total of 565 candidates have collected nomination papers for the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections. The Chief Returning Officer shared the information during a press conference held at 6pm on Monday.  The nomination process, which began on August 12, concluded today. Meanwhile, 1,226 nominations have been filed for the Hall Sangsad elections across 18 residential halls. Among them, 71 candidates filed from Salimullah Muslim Hall, 97 from Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah Hall, 66 from Jagannath Hall, 78 from Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall, 93 from Zahurul Haque Hall, 46 from Rokeya Hall, 90 from Surya Sen Hall, 74 from Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, 37 from Shamsunnahar Hall, 74 from Jasim Uddin Hall, 87 from Ziaur Rahman Hall, 69 from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, 29 from Kuwait Maitree Hall, 30 from Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall, 84 from Amar Ekushey Hall, 40 from Sufia Kamal Hall, 88 from Bijoy Ekattor Hall, and 73 from F Rahman Hall. The scrutiny and next steps of the election process will proceed according to the announced schedule.

The authorities of Islamic University in Kushtia have issued show-cause notices to 19 teachers following an investigation into their alleged role against the student-led anti-discrimination movement in July-August last year. In a notice issued on Sunday night, the university administration directed the accused to submit written explanations within 10 working days, clarifying why disciplinary or legal action not be taken against them, IU registrar office said on Monday. The accused are M Mahbubar Rahman of EEE department, M Baki Billah Bikul and Rabiul Islam of Bangla department, Miah M Rashiduzzaman, AHM Akterul Islam Zillu and Afroza Banu of English department, M Mahbubul Arfin of management department, Kazi Akhtar Hossain and Shelina Nasrin of accounting and information systems department, Debashish Sharma of economics department, Tapon Kumar Joddar and Paresh Chandra Barman of Information and Communication Technology department, Reba Mondol and Shahjahan Mondol of Law department, Joyshree Sen of computer science and engineering department, Amjad Hossain of al-fiqh and law department, Shahidul Islam of human resource management department, Mazedul Islam of marketing and Mehedi Hasan of law and land management department of the university. According to the findings of a five-member investigation committee, the accused are alleged to have engaged in acts including threats, intimidation, aggressive behavior, use of abusive language, inciting protest slogans, and involvement in incidents of police harassment during the demonstrations. The protests, which began as a movement against discrimination in university admissions and appointments, later evolved into broader demands for democratic reforms and opposition to what many students and faculty viewed as an undemocratic takeover of university administration—commonly referred to as a "campus coup." IU acting registrar Professor M Manjurul Islam said that the investigation committee was formed to identify individuals involved in activities deemed subversive to institutional order. Although the panel was initially given 60 working days to complete its inquiry, it submitted its final report on August 13, following an extension. University administration said that the investigation was conducted in accordance with institutional protocols and that accountability was necessary to preserve discipline and order on campus. They asserted that no individual, regardless of position, should be exempt from consequences if found involved in unlawful acts.

Four students of Begun Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) who were on hunger strike demanding student union election fell sick on Monday. Those who fell sick were Zahid Hasan Joy, 16th batch student of Social Science Department, Mahidul Islam Mahid, 14th batch student of Disaster and Management Department, Rummanul Islam Raz, 14th batch student of Mass Communication and Journalism Department and Sumon. When university authorities tried to take them to a hospital by ambulance the students refused to go. BRUR Prof Rashidul Islam suspended over harassment allegation They are being treated at the university with saline, said Ashiqur Rahman, a student who also took part in the hunger strike. The protesters said they will continue their strike until a clear roadmap for the student union election is announced by the university. The students started the hunger strike around 11am on Sunday in front of the university’s administrative building.

Team Bangladesh has recently brought glory to the country by winning five medals at the 18th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2025, held at Jining Confucius School in China. This year, about 1,500 students from across Bangladesh took part in competitive regional and national rounds of the National Earth Olympiad (NEO). From these, four top scorers earned their place on the international stage. The team consisted of Mohammad Tahmid Rahman (Dinajpur Government College), Omar Bin Arif and Sheikh Fahim Mahmud (Notre Dame College), and Faaris Ahmed Aayan (Summerfield International School), under the mentorship of Professor Younus Ahmed Khan of Rajshahi University’s Geology Department. Tahmid Rahman emerged as the top performer with one Gold and two Silver medals across different categories, while Fahim Mahmud secured a Bronze in the individual test and Aayan bagged a Bronze in the Earth System Project.  

The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, scheduled to be held on September 9 after nearly six years, is sparking intense enthusiasm among general students, students affiliated with political organizations, voters as nominations have already begun to be distributed, and the university administration are also working in full swing. However, the student wing of the BNP, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), has not yet finalized its decision on who will be the candidates from their panel as discussions with the party’s top organizational leader, Tarique Rahman, are still ongoing. Mollik Wasi Uddin Tami, the office secretary of the DU JCD, says, “No decision has been made yet. Talks are underway on how we will participate. We are reviewing circumstances. The proper environment necessary for a transparent DUCSU election is questionable considering the violent reaction after forming our hall convening committees. Otherwise, we would have directly formed a panel. If the hall level elections are held, all the organizations must be given space to carry-out organizational activities freely.” Mohiuddin Khan, the general secretary of the DU Islami Chhatra Shibir, has confirmed that they are forming a panel. He says, “We are talking about DUCSU from the beginning as an organisation. The formal election process has started and the atmosphere of the campus is currently conducive, as the voters and candidates are moving around in a festive mood.” All the leftist organisations are also working to form panels. Salman Siddiqui, president of the Socialist Chhatra Front, says that their panel will include leftist student organizations, social and cultural groups, and those who actively participated in past democratic movements and the July uprising. DUCSU draft voter list published; over 39,000 eligible to vote He says, “Although the administration is taking visible steps after a year and more, yet it is a matter of hope.” From the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangha (BAGCHAS), Abdul Qader will contest for VP and Abu Baker Majumdar for general secretary. Umama Fatema, former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement and former leader of the Chhatra Federation, is also working to form an independent panel. Another independent panel is being formed under Jamaluddin Muhammad Khalid, the convener of Independent Bangladesh Students Council, along with Mahin Sarker, joint member-secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP). Bangladesh Chhatra Adhikar Parishad is forming a panel under its president Bin Yamin Molla, who will contest for the VP position with the banner of “DUCSU for Change”. Until now, 61 candidates have collected nomination papers, including 6 women. 14 candidates have collected nominations for the VP position of which 13 have already been submitted. Overdue Ducsu elections on Sept 9, schedule announced Nomination paper distribution will be continued until August 18, and submission will be closed at 3 pm on August 19. Preliminary candidate lists will be published on August 21, and the final lists on August 26. The last day of the withdrawal of nominations is August 25.

A group of students staged a protest at Dhaka University on Saturday accusing several cultural and media personalities of promoting ‘cultural fascism’ after they posted tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on social media marking 15 August. The protest began around 5 pm near the Raju Sculpture and later moved to the ‘Ghrina Chattar’ area of TSC. During the demonstration, students were seen hurling shoes at photographs of the named celebrities, and also at an image of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman displayed on a pillar of the Dhaka Metrorail infrastructure. The protestors, who introduced themselves as general students, displayed posters and chanted slogans calling for the boycott of several well-known figures from the entertainment and media industry. Committee formed to draft framework for student politics at Dhaka University Among those named were cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, singer Lincoln (of the band Artcell), actors Siam Ahmed, Meher Afroz Shaon, Nazifa Tushi, Saju Khadem, Mumtaheena Toya, Farabi Hafiz, Arosh Khan, Irfan Sajjad, film actor Shakib Khan, and actress Mehezabien Chowdhury, among others. Participants accused the figures of supporting what they referred to as "Mujibism" and claimed these personalities were helping to re-establish an ideological agenda tied to the previous government. Protester Md. Samiul Haque, a second-year MBBS student at Dhaka Medical College, said for the past 16 years, the country has suffered under political, economic, and cultural fascism driven by Mujibism and Bakshali ideology. Following the July mass uprising, we believe Bangladesh has been freed from this regime. But now, certain cultural figures are attempting to revive that same fascism through their platforms. We reject and resist this.” The protesters labelled them as "cultural fascists" and vowed to boycott them.

The longstanding affiliation of seven government colleges with the University of Dhaka has officially come to an end as all administrative, academic, and financial responsibilities have been formally transferred to the authorities of the proposed Dhaka Central University. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan handed over all responsibilities and student information—including photographs and admission test fees for the 2024–25 academic year applicants—to Professor AKM Elias, the interim administrator of the proposed Dhaka Central University on Thursday, according to the university’s public relations office. With this formal handover, the university administration announced the completion of the separation of the seven colleges from Dhaka University. DU VC Prof Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan expressed his sincere gratitude to all involved in the smooth and dignified separation process. He also extended his best wishes for the future success of the proposed Dhaka Central University. The event was attended by Pro-VC (Administration) Prof Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha, Pro-VC(Education) Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed, Treasurer Prof Dr M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Dean of the Faculty of Science Professor Dr Abdus Salam, Proctor Associate Prof Saifuddin Ahmed, Acting Registrar Munshi Shams Uddin Ahmed, and the Convener of the Online Admission Committee, along with officials from the relevant departments and the principals of the respective colleges.