United News of Bangladesh

An audio clip containing a conversation between the Islamic University vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam and an unidentified person involving recruitment of drivers at the university went viral on social media Facebook on Tuesday night. A total of 14 audio clips containing conversations between the vice-chancellor and different people went viral on social media from February 16 to June 13 this year. The audio clip shared from a Facebook account Darbesh Salam on Tuesday, the VC was heard saying to a person addressing him as Nazrul that the university administration would circulate an advertisement of recruiting drivers at the university very soon. The VC also told the person to ask his candidate to apply for both the driver and helper posts so that the appointment of the candidate could not be missed. Read: Islamic University won't join combined admission test system Some senior teachers said that the conversations of the vice-chancellor went viral on social media one after another but the government, the Ministry of Education and UGC did not take any decision regarding the leaked audio conversations. They, in a press conference held on April 3, sought prime minister’s intervention regarding the leaked audio conversations, said IU Awami League-backed teachers’ alliance Shapla Forum’s general secretary Professor M Mahbubar Rahman. The vice-chancellor tarnished the image of the university by adopting unfair means of recruiting teachers and drivers at the university, he added. IUTA general secretary Professor Tapon Kumar Godder said that they sent written documents to the prime minister, the president, the education minister and the chairman of the University Grants Commission in this connection. They should look into the matter, he added. IU vice-chancellor Shaikh Abdus Salam said that he had nothing to say regarding the leaked audio conversations. “May Allah bless the person who leaked his conversations,” he said. Read:  42 Islamic University students win Science and Technology Fellowship On Monday, the written examinations for recruiting three engineers at the university were held after three audio clips containing vice-chancellor’s mobile conversations about recruitments went viral. IU acting registrar HM Ali Hasan filed a general diary with the Islamic University police station after an audio clip containing conversation between the VC and a jobseeker of IU’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department had gone viral on February 17. The Islamic University Teachers’ Association and the Awami League-backed teachers’ alliance Shapla Forum submitted a written petition to the vice-chancellor requesting him to explain his audio conversations leaked on February 18. Later, the university administration postponed the recruitment boards of five departments. Read more: Islamic University celebrates 43rd founding anniversary Tuesday  

A fourth-year pharmacy student of Dhaka University went missing while taking bath at the Gorai River in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia district on Monday. The student was identified as Tanvir, 23, fourth-year student of pharmacy department of Dhaka University and resident of Barguna district. Read: DU Business unit admission results published The incident took place at Koya Gorai railway bridge area of Kumarkhali on Kushtia-Rajbari railway line around 4:45pm on Monday. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saidul Islam visited the spot. Tanvir is a resident of Barguna district. According to fire service and Kumarkhali police station sources, 13 students of pharmacy department of Dhaka University went to visit various places of Meherpur and Kushtia.  The incident took place while three of them went to Gorai River to take bath and Tanvir drowned. On information, Kumarkhali fire service personnel immediately started the rescue operation. Read: MoU signed to promote Bangladesh's cross-border trade capacity in agro-processed food products Mohsin Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kumarkhali Police Station, said among thirteen, twelve are okay now. He acknowledged Tanvir is still missing.  Efforts are on to rescue him, the OC said.

The Agrani Bank authorities suspended one of its officials temporarily on charges of assaulting M Mostafizur Rahman, a professor of Al-Hadith and Islamic Studies department of Islamic University in Kushtia over previous enmity. Read: IU Students protest attack on teacher, block Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway The suspended, M Shohel Mahmud, was the principal officer of Kushtia Chaurhash Agrani Bank branch. A press release, signed by the bank deputy-general manager M Mahbubur Rahman, was issued in this regard on Thursday night. According to the press release, the students of the Al-Hadith and Islamic Studies department on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the chairman of the bank demanding punishment of Shohel. Later, the bank authorities suspended Shohel Mahmud from his job temporarily for tarnishing the image of the bank by assaulting IU Al-Hadith and Islamic Studies department Professor M Mostafizur Rahman physically who was also the general secretary of the university teachers’ Association. Read: IU student's MBA, BBA certificates cancelled Agrani Bank deputy general-manager M Mahbubur Rahman said that they suspended Shohel for violating the bank’s rules and regulations. On Wednesday morning, Shohel swooped on Mostafiz while the latter was walking on the road over their previous enmity. Shohel, at one stage, beat up Mostafiz with a bamboo stick of land that left him injured on the spot. Later, other people rescued Mostafiz from the spot and took him to Kushtia General Hospital for treatment. A group of students of the Al-Hadith and Islamic Studies department staged a demonstration on the campus in Kushtia on Thursday protesting at an attack on the professor. Read: Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman gets bail in DSA case The students later blockaded the Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway demanding immediate arrest of Kushtia Chaurhash Agrani Bank official M Shohel Mahmud. IUTA and the teachers of the Al-Hadith department, in separate protest releases, also demanded immediate punishment of the bank official who carried out an attack on Professor M Mostafizur Rahman.

IDP Education Bangladesh, an international education services provider and co-owner of IELTS examination, opened its new office at Green Rowshonara Tower, Shatmasjid Road in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi on Thursday. Headquartered in Australia, IDP has more than 170 offices across more than 30 countries, sccording toa press release. Also read: IELTS Practice Tests: 7 Full Free IELTS Mock Tests to Take Online "For over 50 years IDP has played a significant role in international education by offering comprehensive counselling services to students and having placed more than 650,000 students into quality institutions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America and Ireland,” it said. Also read: IELTS vs TOEFL: Which is better for study abroad? IDP already has offices in Gulshan, Chattogram and Sylhet and this new office will provide students the opportunity to get free counselling for study abroad and related services in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, NZ and Ireland, said the release. Also read: How to Pick a College or University Abroad for Higher Education For information and counseling about higher studies students can visit the new Dhanmondi office from Sunday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm, except government holidays, it also said.

Students of Al-Hadith and Islamic Studies department of Islamic University in Kushtia staged a demonstration on the campus on Thursday protesting  the attack on Professor M Mostafizur Rahman of the department allegedly by an Agrani Bank official. Around 100 hundred students of the Al-Hadith and Islamic Studies department gathered in front of the university’s main entrance and blocked the Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway demanding immediate arrest of Kushtia Chourhash Agrani Bank official M Shohel Mahmud. Vehicular movement highway were halted during the protest. Read: IU students demand reopening of halls The students urged the university authorities to take action against the bank official who carried out an attack on the professor while he was walking on the road on Wednesday morning, the agitating students said. The students said they would continue their demonstration on the campus until their demand of arresting the bank official was met. On information, a team of IU proctorial body went to the spot and brought the situation under control. The students withdrew their demonstration as the proctorial body assured them of looking into the matter. Read: IU student torture: HC orders suspension of 5 students including Antara Earlier, Agrani Bank official Shohel assaulted Professor Mostafiz on Wednesday morning following a dispute between over a land. As a sequel to the dispute, Shohel swooped on Mostafiz while he was walking on the road in the morning. Shohel, at one stage, beat up Mostafiz with a bamboo stick that left him injured on the spot. Later, people rescued Mostafiz from the spot and took him to Kushtia General Hospital for treatment. Read more: DU student assaulted ‘by BCL man’ for not offering salam

The results of  undergraduate program of Business unit of Dhaka University have been published. DU Vice Chancellor Prof. Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman published the results on the University's official website at 1 pm. Students can check their results at admission.eis.du.ac.bd or can use short message service (SMS). Read: DU admission test: Science and Fine Arts results published For SMS notification of the results, candidates have to type DU BUS  [exam roll]  and send it to 16321. A total of 8526 students out of 38,235 students passed the exam against 1050 seats. From commerce background, Mehraj Hossain came 1st in the test scoring 103.5 marks out of 120 marks while from humanities section Zilhaj Sheikh secured first position scoring 98.91 marks and from science section, Abdullah Ibne Masud came 1st scoring  94.25 marks. This year the admission tests were arranged in a combined setting where students from all backgrounds (Science, Commerce and Arts) participated in each unit. Read: DU Arts, Law and Social Science admission test results published; Pass rate 9.69% There are total 1050 seats in Business faculty, of which, 930 seats have been allocated for solid commerce students, 25 seats for arts students and 95 seats for science students. All the successful students have been asked to fill up the subject choice form between June 18 to July 6. Read more: DU holds 'Ka' unit admission test

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent exams will begin on August 17. The Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board released the routine of the exams for all education boards on Thursday. Read: HSC selection test to begin from May 30 According to the routine, HSC written exams will begin on August 17 and will continue till September 25. Practical exams will be held from September 26 to October 4, according to the routine. Read: HSC exams begin across the country HSC exams will be held for three hours from 10 am to 1 pm and 2pm to 5pm. This year's HSC exams will kick off with the Bangla first paper. Read more: Over 12 lakh students expected to sit for HSC exams from Sunday

The secondary level educational institutions will remain closed Thursday (tomorrow) due to the ongoing heatwave. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) issued a notice in this regard on Wednesday. Read more: Govt primary schools to remain closed from June 5-8 due to heat wave condition “All concerned are requested to implement this decision,” said the notice.  Earlier, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education decided to suspend classes at primary schools from June 5 to 8.  Also read:  According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), severe heat wave is sweeping Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Jashore & Syedpur districts and mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal & Sylhet divisions and parts of Rangpur & Rajshahi divisions and the districts of Cumilla, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni & Bandarban and it may continue. Read more: 2 dead in shooting after high school graduation ceremony in Virginia capital

The results of undergraduate programme of Arts, Law and Social Science unit of Dhaka University for the 2023-24 academic session have been published with a pass rate of 9.69 %. DU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman published the results at 1 pm from the Abdul Motin Chowdhury virtual classroom. Students can check their results at admission.eis.du.ac.bd or can use a short message service (SMS). Also Read: DU admission test: Science and Fine Arts results published For SMS notification of the results, candidate shall type DU  [exam roll]  and send it to 16321. A total of 11,169 students passed the exam while only 2934 students will be enrolled. There are a total of 2934 seats in the Arts, Law and Social Science unit of which 908 are allocated for science background students, 1,744 seats for arts background students and 282 seats for business background students. All the eligible students have been asked to fill up the subject choice form online. This year, 1,22,834 students applied for 2,943 seats under this unit.    

There are 37,926 vacant posts of headmaster and assistant teachers in 66,566 primary schools in the country at present. State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Ministry Md. Zakir Hossen informed this at parliament on Tuesday. In response to a question of Awami League MP, Abul Kalam Azad, Zakir Hossen said that the government has a plan to fill the vacant posts of headmaster and assistant teachers. Also Read: Assimilated govt. college teachers demand job security In reply to the lawmakers’ tabled question, the state minister said, 29,858 posts of headmaster and 8,068 posts of assistant teacher are vacant now. He said that a requisition was sent to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission on January 4 from the Ministry of Public Administration for the filling 1,955 vacancies of headmasters.  In reply to another query from Jatiya Party MP Pir Fazlur Rahman, the State Minister for Primary and Mass Education said that the total number of primary school teachers in the country is 4.27 lakh. Among them, 3.90 lakh are in service. Meanwhile, Education Minister Dipu Moni in reply to a query from reserved seat MP Khaleda Khanam, told parliament that there is a plan to establish a university in each district and a medical university in each division.  She informed the House that at present there are two women's universities in the country—one is a private university and the other is an international women's university. Also Read: 366 govt primary schools in Kurigram run without head teacher In response to a query from AL MP Nasimul Alam Chowdhury, the education minister said that work in going on to introduce automation software to stop the fraud of educational certificates at the higher education level.  “Once the software is launched, it will be possible to save all the information of university level students and the certificate can be verified online from anywhere in the world. It will be possible to stop certificate fraud,” she also said. ALso Read: HC questions legality of primary school teacher recruitment on quota basis She said that action has already been taken against 678 teachers/employees having fake certificates.