United News of Bangladesh

The authorities of Comilla University have announced the closure of the institution indefinitely amid an ongoing demonstration by teachers. The university authorities made the decision in the 93rd Emergency Syndicate meeting on Tuesday (April 30) evening. All dormitories of the university will also remain closed for an indefinite period. A notification signed by the acting registrar of the university, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, was issued in this regard. The announcement comes as a tense situation prevails in the university, where a faction of teachers have put different administrative buildings under padlocks to press their demands. According to the notification, all academic and administrative activities of the university will be closed until further notice. However, all activities related to the GST cluster examination will continue. Meanwhile, students have been directed to leave the hall by 4 pm on Wednesday. Apart from this, 4 decisions were taken in the syndicate meeting, including forming a committee to review the demands of the teachers' association.

Education Minister Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel said on Tuesday that educational institutions will be kept open on Fridays if needed to end syllabuses according to curriculums. “If I have to keep it open on Friday to achieve what we need to do with education, I have to keep it open,” he said. He made the remarks while talking to journalists at the latter’s office in the secretariat in Dhaka. "We now have 185 working days. We have been kept there for 20 days for evaluation. Five days for the national days, we will make readjustments on the extra days. It's hard to keep the education calendar steady,” said the minister. Asked about the High Court order on the closure of educational institutions, Nowfel said they are respectful to the court's decision. The court's decision will be followed until an appeal is filed. He said educational institutions suffer more loss in rural areas than in cities when they are closed due to natural disasters and other holidays. Decisions on school openings and closings will be taken district-wise from now on. Educational institutions will not be closed or opened collectively countrywide anymore, he observed. On Monday, the HC ordered the closure of primary and secondary schools and madrasas till Thursday due to heatwave in the country. All secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and technical educational institutions were ordered to remain closed on Monday following the advice from the Ministry of Health and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. On Sunday, the Education Ministry in a circular said that educational institutions having air conditioning were allowed to operate if authorities wanted. The country continues to experience a heat wave for the past few days while deaths of people from the heat stroke are reported every day. The decision to open educational institutions amid the scorching heat sparked a huge criticism among all in the country. In this situation, the HC on Monday ordered the closure of the educational institutions until Thursday.

Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering (Buet), who had boycotted all sorts of academic activities protesting Bangladesh Chhatra League’s move to restore political activities on the campus, have decided to sit for the examinations. Section of BUET students demand action against extremist threats and cyber bullying The decision was taken at meeting of class representatives with Buet administration on Tuesday.Director of  Buet Student Welfare Directorate (DSW) Professor Dr. Mohammad Al Amin Siddiq confirmed the matter. These exams will start from May 11 and the fresh exam routine will be published soon. BUET dissolves its campus journalists' club Buet students started demonstration after BCL president Saddam Hussain along with other leaders and activists entered the campus on March 28 midnight to restore politics although student politics is prohibited. BUET gets new director of students' welfare They boycotted all sorts of academic activities and demanded stricter action against those students who tried to revive student politics on the campus ignoring the ban.Amid a tense situation, Buet authorities announced the postponement of all examinations on April  20.

Some students from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) are calling for urgent action following a distressing cycle of death threats and cyberbullying allegedly by members of the Islami Chhatra Shibir and extremist groups. These threats have targeted students vocal about the group's incitement to violence and ideological brainwashing, they said. They referred to arrests of 24 BUET students affiliated with Islami Chhatra Shibir for allegedly planning subversive activities. Despite the charges, these students continue to attend classes and reside in the university dormitories, raising concerns among their peers, the students said. Hizbut campaigns in BUET to shun western values: Campus sources While speaking to media at Shaheed Minar on the campus, the affected students detailed the ongoing harassment they face, including social media vilification and direct death threats. The situation has escalated with the discovery of CCTV footage showing the distribution of leaflets from an outlawed terrorist organisation on campus, purportedly attempting to recruit students for "crusades against Western nations." BUET dissolves its campus journalists' club In response to the threats, the students have sought protective measures from the university authorities to prevent further intimidation. They also expressed fear of eviction from their dormitories, a concern they have formally reported to the university administration. The press briefing follows a statement from the Sector Commanders Forum, deploring what they described as an alarming spike in efforts by Jamaat-e-Islami and its student arm Islami Chhatra Shibir to glorify war criminals and undermine war crimes through social media targeting university students. Right activists denounce vilification of ex-BUET students by FB page linked to war criminal Mir Quasem's family The content notably targeted former BUET students who faced violent attacks in 2013 including student leaders Tonmoy Ahmed and Arif Raihan Dip. These attacks, linked to the same radical groups, resulted in the death of Dip and severe injuries to Ahmed after a hate campaign accused them of being "enemies of Islam."

The Computer Science and Engineering Department Alumni Association (CSEDUAA) of Dhaka University has formed a new committee for the next two years. Kazi Mohammad Mahabubul Haque of the MSC 1st batch was elected as the President, while Md Faisal Hossain of BSC 11th has been elected as General Secretary. Other office bearers include: Vice-President-1 Muhammad Abdul Bari, Vice-President-2 Md Akhtaruzzaman, Treasurer Dr. Md. Azam Hossain, Joint Secretary Jewel Rana, Organizing Secretary Md. Farhad Alam Bhuiyan, Office Secretary Md. Tahjib Ul Islam, Cultural Secretary Md. Rubel Pasha, Bibliography and Intellectual Publication Secretary Kazi Safayet Mahmud Avi, Sports Secretary Md Abed Hossain, Publicity and Public Relations Secretary Md Khairul Bashar, Branding and Graphic Design Secretary Abdullah Ibn Masud, and Executive Members Md. Abu Nader Al Moqaddes, Md. Miraj Uddin Khan, Nahid Hasan, Helal Hejazi, Anjum Riyashat, Shahriar Bin Amin, Md. Shafiqul Islam, and Rahat Hussain. The annual general meeting of the organization was held recently. Dhaka University's Dean of Engineering and Technology Faculty, Hafiz Md Hasan Babu, and current Chairman of the department, Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak, were present at the meeting.

Classes of secondary schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutions of several districts will remain closed due to the ongoing heat wave. Secondary educational institutions of all districts of Khulna and Rajshahi divisions; Dhaka, Tangail, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Gazipur, Kurigram, Dinajpur, Patuakhali districts will remain closed on 30th April, reads a press release of the Ministry of Education.    

The High Court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to keep primary and secondary level educational institutions except those with air conditioner closed until Thursday due to extreme heat. The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the suo moto order. The educational institutions which have air conditioners, universities, A and O level exams and public examinations will remain out of the purview of the order. Md Manir Uddin, a Supreme Court lawyer, drew the attention of the court about the news of death and sickness of people including teachers and students after the reopening of the educational institutions amid the heat alert across the country.   Classes at all primary, secondary schools and colleges resumed on Sunday after Eid-ul-Fitr holidays and its subsequent extension due to heat wave. Schools and colleges were scheduled to reopen on April 21 after the end of Eid holidays but the closure was extended till April 27 due to sweltering heat.          

The authorities of Islamic University in Kushtia postponed three recruitment boards formed for hiring staff for the marketing department, vice-chancellor office and fine arts department of the university.   A press release, signed by IU acting registrar HM Ali Hasan, was issued in this regard on Saturday night.   The postponement came a couple of weeks after the investigation committee formed by the University Grants Commission found evidence of corruption and irregularities committed by the Islamic University vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam.   The university administration led by the VC Shaikh Abdus Salam called the viva-voce boards for the posts of computer operators at the marketing department, vice-chancellor office and fine arts department of the university.   The recruitment boards scheduled to be held on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were postponed due to unavoidable reasons and the date and time for the boards would be informed later, IU acting registrar HM Ali Hasan told on Sunday.   Many Awami League alliance progressive teacher associations’ teachers said that the recruitment boards held under IU vice-chancellor Shaikh Abdus Salam were questionable as several audio clips of conversations between him and a job seeker went viral on social media before the boards.   The VC took the decision to hold different recruitment boards of the university hurriedly despite the probe body formed by the UGC found the corruption and irregularities of him true.   The UGC and the education ministry should look into the matter, they said.   The VC had no right to share any recruitment related information with anyone outside as the head of the recruitment boards of the university, they added.   A UGC member said that the process of submitting the investigation reports to the ministry of education was under way. The ministry concerned would take steps against him very soon, he added.   Earlier on February 19, 2023, the authorities of Islamic University postponed the recruitment process of its three departments following the audio leak.   On November 1, 2023, the University Grants Commission formed a three-member probe body headed by its member Professor M Abu Taher to look into the allegations of corruption and irregularities brought against the Islamic University vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abus Salam.   The probe body, however, went to the university and started its investigation on January 22 this year.   Earlier, a total of 14 audio clips, containing conversations between IU VC and different people, went viral on social media from February 16 to June 13 last year.    

Academic activities at all colleges under National University (NU) will resume from Sunday a week after those were shut due to scorching heat in the country. This information was confirmed in a notice signed by Director of Public Relations Department of the NU Md Ataur Rahman on Saturday. Earlier on April 20, the NU authority in a notice said that academic activities would remain suspended until further notice.  Before that, the Ministry of Education decided to keep all schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institutions across the country closed from April 21 to 27. However, educational institutions at primary and secondary-levels will also reopen from Sunday. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the county continues to experience a heat wave for the past few days.

As the country grapples with an intense heatwave, the government has announced the reopening of primary school academic activities starting Sunday, April 28.  The Primary and Mass Education Ministry, through a notification signed by Senior Information Officer Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, outlined the operational adjustments to accommodate the sweltering conditions. School hours will be limited to the cooler morning hours, from 8:00 am to 11:30 am. For schools operating in two shifts, the first shift will run from 8:00 am to 9:30 am and the second from 9:45 am to 11:30 am.  Cuet students’ road safety movement postponed, to resume classes Despite these changes, pre-primary level classes will remain closed until further notice, and daily school assemblies will be suspended to avoid prolonged exposure to the heat. The decision follows a similar action taken for secondary level schools and colleges, which are set to reopen on the same day, April 28.  The resumption comes after an extended closure initially planned until April 27 due to the prolonged hot weather following the Eid holidays. Outdoor activities and those requiring sun exposure at these institutions will continue to be limited. To make up for educational disruptions caused by the heatwave and other interruptions, classes will also be conducted on Saturdays until further notice, according to the ministry's notification. Secondary schools, colleges to reopen April 28 amid heat wave The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecasted that the current heatwave conditions, which recorded a high of 42.7 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga on Friday, may persist for another 72 hours starting Thursday morning. The government's proactive measures aim to balance educational needs with health and safety concerns during this challenging climate period.