United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh's President Abdul Hamid, who is also chancellor of universities, has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take necessary measures for holding a single admission test for all public universities for the 2023-24 session. A media release signed by Md Mahmudul Alam, joint secretary of secondary and higher education department of the Education Ministry, conveyed the directive today. Read more: Single admission test for universities from next year: Dipu Moni The release also said the public universities that earlier held admission test in the cluster method for 2022-23 session were asked to complete the admission process.

In recent years, Olympiad competitions are becoming increasingly popular in Bangladesh to promote education and encourage students to explore their interests in various subjects. These competitions not only allow students to showcase their knowledge and skills but also help foster a spirit of healthy competition and encourage academic excellence. Let’s explore some of the most popular Olympiad competitions in Bangladesh and how they are helping to shape the future of education in the country. What is an Olympiad? The term "Olympiad" typically refers to an international competition or contest in a particular academic or intellectual field. These competitions often bring together high-performing students from around the world to showcase their skills and knowledge in subjects like mathematics, science, and language arts. Olympiads can be organized by governments, universities, or other educational institutions, and may include multiple rounds of competition, written exams, and other evaluation methods. Winning an Olympiad is often seen as an achievement and can open up opportunities for further education or career advancement. In Bangladesh, various Olympiads are held each year, covering topics such as mathematics, science, biology, information technology, etc. Read More: Initiating students to the ‘Smart Bangladesh’ vision: Nat’l STEAM Olympiad to start on March 15 8 Popular Olympiads in Bangladesh Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad The Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee (BdMOC) was established in April 2001, and it organizes annual countrywide mathematics festivals that run for several months. The festivals are open to students in schools and colleges up to class XII and usually occur between December and February.  BdMOC has worked tirelessly with Prothom Alo newspaper and Dutch Bangla Bank Limited (DBBL) to achieve its primary goal, which is to send a team to the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) with a gold medal. Bangladeshi students have been participating in the IMO since 2005.  This year's mathematical Olympiad will be held through a combination of offline and online events, and registration is mandatory, even for students who have participated in previous years. Registration is online, and details can be found at the official website of BdMOC. The first round is a selection Olympiad, which will be conducted online.  Students who pass this round will be selected for the regional Olympiad which will be held offline in 30 different venues. Winners of the regional Olympiads will be invited to attend the National Olympiad. Several initiatives have been taken to improve the quality of the academic team, logistics, and infrastructure to achieve this goal. Registration is free and open to all students. Read More: Chess Olympiad: Bangladesh beat stronger Czech Republic in 3rd round Bangladesh Physics Olympiad The Bangladesh Physics Olympiad (BDPHO) is a prestigious annual competition that aims to identify and nurture talented students with a passion for physics. The competition is organized by the Bangladesh Physics Olympiad Committee, which was established in 2011. The committee comprises a group of physics enthusiasts, educators, and experts who aim to promote physics education in Bangladesh and prepare students for international physics competitions.

Haileybury Bhaluka, a Cambridge curriculum school, has launched a scholarship program worth US$ 15 million for Bangladeshi students based on excellent academic performance. Haileybury is a British institution working in the education sector worldwide. The institution has established ‘Haileybury Bhaluka School’ on an 800-acre area campus within the Dhamshur Economic Zone, 75 km north of Dhaka. Haileybury Academic Scholarship Fund was formally launched at Le Meridien Hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday. Jim O’Neill, country director (acting) British Council, formally launched the program as special guest, while Simon O’ Grady, headmaster, Haileybury Bhaluka presided over the function. Dan Pasha, director of trade and investment of FCDO, British High Commission; Shain Reza, country director, Cambridge Bangladesh, among others spoke at the function. The speakers highly appreciated the progress of Bangladesh in different sectors and expected that Haileybury Bhaluka will provide world class education. They also expressed optimism that students of the institution will be able to be admitted to the UK and other countries’ top colleges and universities. Under the scholarship program, the student of Haileybury Bhaluka will get full tuition and other fee waivers.

The latest household survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) shows that the literacy rate in Bangladesh has increased to 74 percent. According to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022, the literacy rate was 65.6 percent in 2016 and 57.91 percent in 2010, said the survey report, which was published on Wednesday. People aged above seven years were included in determining the literacy rate. The BBS conducted the survey among 14,400 households from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Currently (2022) the average monthly expenditure of a family in the country is TK 31500, in 2016 it was Tk15715. As a result, the cost has doubled in a span of six years. Due to various programmes taken by the government to alleviate poverty, the rate of poor and destitute people in the country has decreased. The poor population in the country is 18.7 percent. Besides, the poverty rate has decreased to 5.6 percent. According to 2016 statistics, the poor population in the country was 24.3 percent. That year the ultra-poor population was 12.9 percent. As a result, the number of poor people in the country has decreased by 5.6 percent in a span of seven years. At the same time, the ultra-poor population decreased by 7.3 percent. The poverty rate is 20.5 percent in rural towns and 14.7 percent in urban areas. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), a government agency working to determine the poverty rate, released such data at a function in the BBS Auditorium on Wednesday (April 12). Planning Minister MA Mannan, State Minister Dr. Shamsul Alam and other officials were present. The agency had released its latest 'Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES)’ in 2016.  

Mangal Shovajatra organisers have filed a General Diary (GD) with Shahbagh Police station after receiving a letter with the threat to foil the event at the Fine Arts faculty of Dhaka University where preparation is going on for the event. Abtahi Rahman, member of preparatory committee of Mangal Shovajatra, got the letter around 9.45 pm on Tuesday. Later, he filed a GD with Shahbagh Police station. "Yesterday we were supervising our works at the west wall and I found a letter containing threats which syas,  " Mangal Shovajatra is a Shirk, do not put yourselves under threat by coming to the area. Attack could be launched anytime on that day.” Abtahi said.    

Focusing on the emerging importance of studying critical medical humanities, the Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) recently organized an exclusive seminar and workshop at its Mohammadpur main campus in the capital. Titled "Physical Wounds in Literature: A Talk and Workshop on Critical Medical Humanities in 21st Century Bangladesh," the workshop was conducted by Farah Binte Bashir Dolon, a researcher in Medical Humanities and MA student in Comparative Literature at the University of Hyderabad in India. Physical disabilities and sickness result in mental trauma and disturbance in everyday physical, social, and financial aspects that are reflected in contemporary literature across the globe. The 21st century is witnessing an increasing number of people suffering from psychological illness that has crossed the limits of medical sciences and entered the humanities arena, according to the researcher. The relationship between psychological illness and physical illness, which has existed since prehistoric times, is prominently portrayed in postmodern literature and Franz Kafka’s works are noteworthy in this regard.  

Another public university student, this time a female student of Chattogram University (CU), committed suicide at a residential hall of the university on Saturday. Rukia Sultana Ruku, 22, was a student of the 2019-20 session of the department of management and a residential student of the university's Shamsunnahar Hall. She lived in room 201. She was from Lalmonirhat district. Her body was recovered around 5:30 pm on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said her classmates went to Ruku's room and found her hanging. Later, they first took her to the University Medical Center and then shifted her to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead in the evening. Hall Provost Rakiba Nabi said, "Students found her hanging in her room and brought her to the hospital. The doctor on duty declared her dead." On information, Ruku's husband came to the hospital and received the body, he added.    

A premium Cambridge curriculum school in Bangladesh, Glenrich International School (GIS) was launched on Thursday to promote the idea of ‘School of Life’ and prepare the learners for the future world. Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni inaugurated the campus as the chief guest while Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi as a guest of honour and Deputy Education Minister Mr. Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury as special guest were present. Education Minister Dipu Moni said that Bangladesh has made notable progress in expanding access to education over the decade. "The government is trying to bring about significant changes in the education landscape. It is amazing to see that STS Group is also contributing in this regard by launching this premium school called Glenrich. I believe this school will make the learners fit for the future world," he said. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said, "We are pleased to see the beautiful campus of Glenrich International School (GIS) and everything that it promises. Bangladesh is steadily growing in various sectors, including the education industry." Chairman of STS Group Bob Kundanm said that they are committed to continuously invest in providing best quality education for the future generation of Bangladesh. "Our focus is to bring the development of Bangladesh’s youth at par with the highest standards of global competency and to do that we have taken the initiative to introduce the concept of School of life – equipping our young with the necessary skillset for the future along with an enhanced curriculum.” Glenrich is promoting a 'school of life' concept, where students will learn about scholastic subjects and be encouraged to continue creative pursuits in a caring and nurturing environment.    

Professor M Maksudur Rahman of the geography and environment department has been appointed as the new proctor of Dhaka University (DU). He replaced Professor AKM Golam Rabbani of the Islamic history and culture department. DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman appointed Maksudur as the new proctor, said Registrar Probir Kumar Sarker Wednesday. "I received the appointment letter today. If everything goes well, I will assume my new role tomorrow," Maksudur told UNB. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the geography and environment department of DU in 1994 in 1996, respectively. Maksudur earned a PhD in human geography from the University of Hull in the UK in 2008.

The victim who was ousted from his hall by a group of activists of Islamic University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student organisation of the ruling Awami League, returned to the campus on Monday. Mahadi Hasan, a third-year student of finance and banking department of the university, returned to the campus in the afternoon three days after he was ousted from the Lalon Shah Hall of the university. The BCL men ousted Mahadi almost one month after a fresher of the same department was tortured and humiliated by ruling party-backed student body’s IU unit vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora and her four cohorts at Deshratna Sheikh Hall on February 12 night. Returning to the campus, Mahadi sought cooperation of the university administration for his security measures. IU Lalon Shah Hall provost Professor M Obaydul Islam said that the victim who was ousted from the hall returned to the hall. They would take necessary action against those found involved in ousting the student from the hall after getting reports from the probe body formed by the hall administration, he added. IU proctor Professor M Shahadat Hossain Azad told UNB that they would assist Mahadi like other students on the campus so that none could create chaos regarding the issue. Earlier, a group of IU BCL unit activists, including Torikul Islam Torun and Razu of Bangla department and Fahim Faisal of development studies department, loyal to IU BCL general secretary Nasim Ahmed Joy, asked Mahadi to meet them. Mahadi met the BCL activists who then forced him to leave the room. They also threw his valuables, including books and belongings, out of the room. Mahadi later lodged a written complaint against the BCL activists with the hall provost in this connection on Saturday. The Lalon Shah Hall administration formed a three-member probe body led by the hall’s house tutor Professor M Helal Uddin to investigate the incident on Sunday.