United News of Bangladesh

The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government Azizul Haque College, Bogura to promote the CMA profession and offer easy access to CMA program for the aspiring professional accountants. ICMAB President Mamunur Rashid and college Principal Prof Md Shajahan Ali signed the MoU in Bogura, said a media release.  Both the organisations hoped that the partnership will result in mutual benefits for the institutions in developing the human capital of Bangladesh. Read: ICMAB demands implementation of financial, cost audit to bring transparency in accounting system Highlighting several aspects of the CMA profession, the ICMAB president said there is a special need for the CMA degree holders in the administration and other departments including the accounting department of various multinational organisations, businesses and production department of industrial establishments. He said that the enrollment of new students in the study center will start from the next session.

Dhaka University's first-ever 'Research and Publication Fair' got underway on Saturday, as part of its centenary celebrations.  The fair was inaugurated on Saturday morning by Industries Minister Nurul Majid Humayun, while Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, deputy education minister, attended the opening ceremony of the fair as special guest. DU Vice Chancellor Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman presided over the opening ceremony.  The fair consists of the stalls of every Department and Institutes under the pavilions of the Faculties. Each Department and Institute of the University has decorated the Stalls with books, journals, research projects, posters and flyers of their own. Nurul Majid Humayun said, "We are talking about multi-dimensional exports but we could not produce cotton for our garments sectors, the biggest export industry of our country.The DU vice chancellor  said there is an absence of industry-academia relationship, community engagement, alliances and proper collaboration in the education and cultural sectors: "We are putting emphasis on developing public-private partnerships and academia-industry relationship." On the first day of the fair, Arts, Science, Social Science, Business Studies, and Law faculties each gave a presentation on glorifying historical background and achievements. The Biology, Pharmacy, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Engineering faculties. 

The Rajshahi University authorities have decided to lodge a complaint against those involved in assaulting the university's students at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The decision was taken on Friday afternoon in an emergency meeting of the university administration chaired by vice-chancellor Professor Golam Sabbir Sattar, said the university Public Relations Office Administrator Professor Pradip Kumar Panday during a press briefing in the evening. Professor Pandey said that the authorities will form a three-member investigation committee within a day to investigate the cause of RU student MGM Shahriar's death and will ask them to submit the investigation report within 72 hours.  They will also form a 9-member investigation committee to monitor the progress in this care, he added.  Earlier on Wednesday, MGM Shahriar, a final year student of Marketing department of Rajshahi University, fell from the corridor of the Shaheed Habibur Rahman hall’s 3rd floor at around 8 pm.  When he was taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in a seriously injured condition, the doctor in charge declared him dead. However, RU students complained of delays in getting treatment at the hospital. Later, hospital interns, ward boys and Ansar members attacked the university students, leaving several students injured.      

A section of Islami University (IU) students carried out a protest rally demanding punishment of a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activist for allegedly harassing a female student and attacking her male friend on Thursday. The alleged harasser is Mehedi Hasan Hafiz, a student of the 2015-16 session of Political Science department and a follower of BCL IU unit General Secretary Nasim Ahmed Joy. According to eyewitnesses, victim student Popy went to the main gate area of the university with a male friend, where she was interrogated by Hafiz and some of his associates. At one point, Hafiz harassed Popy and beat up her friend. Read: IU student found dead in Meherpur The altercation stemmed from taking control of a hall seat. Using Hafiz’s reference, a student named Sayma got allotted to the room where Popy was living. As Sayma tried to get hold of a window seat, a heated exchange of words ensued between the two, which later resulted in Hafiz’s intervention. Hafiz denied his involvement when asked about the incident. “I don’t know the girl (Popy). An issue arose when a junior student did some foul talk. The allegation of managing the hall seat against me is false and fabricated,” said Hafiz.

A final-year student of Rajshahi University died on Wednesday after falling off the roof of Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall of the university. This was confirmed by university student advisor M Tareq Nur. The student fell from the roof of the third block of the residential hall. The deceased was identified as Shahriar, a fourth-year (2017-18 session) student of the Marketing Department of the university and hailed from Dinajpur. According to the residential students of the hall, Shahriar lived in room 354, which is on the east side of the third block of that hall. But he fell from the west end of the same block. Later, some students took him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Rashedul, a residential student of Habibur Rahman Hall, said that he heard the sound of falling and saw that someone had fallen from the roof. He was taken to the hospital immediately. University student advisor Tareq Nur said that the injured student died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. An unnatural death case will be filed over this. Meanwhile, Shahriar's classmates vandalized Rajshahi Medical Hospital as the doctor did not come on time. A student named Jahangir, who was at the scene, told UNB that Shahriar was taken to the hospital around 8.30. But he was not given treatment till 9:30 PM. There was no doctor there but an intern.

A partnership between the UTS College, the pathway to the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and Premier University in Chattogram has been launched. Premier University will offer two popular UTS College courses – the diploma of business and diploma of information technology. This means students can begin their journey to UTS at home. On successful completion of their diplomas, graduates will be eligible to enter the related bachelor program at UTS, often fast-tracking into second year. Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer attended the education partnership launch programme. "Partnerships with Australia's high-quality educational institutions, such as UTS College, are helping Bangladesh diversify its economy and increase economic development, by building a workforce that is ready for the jobs of tomorrow," the high commissioner said.

The Jahangirnagar University authorities have suspended 11 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) for six months each in connection with torturing a journalist. The suspended students are – Md Asadul Haque, Arifuzzaman Sejan, Raihan Habib, Mohammad Masum Billah, Mirza Shahnoor ul Haque Zian, Mir Hasibul Hasan Rishad, Muntasir Ahmed Tahrim, Md Zahid Nazrul, Imran Bashar, Zayed-bin-Mehdi, and AS Nafis Hossain. Of them, Asadul Haque was suspended for six months and fined Tk 5,000 tk while 10 others were suspended for the same period but were fined Tk 2,000 each. The action was taken at an emergency syndicate meeting on Sunday afternoon, said JU Syndicate Member and Treasurer Prof Rasheda Akhtar. She said this decision was taken as per the recommendation of the investigation committee and disciplinary board formed following the complaint. On August 2, the accused students called a journalist who works in an online portal to a guest room of the University's Rabindranath Tagore Hall and tortured him. Later that night, the JU unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) identified eight of its activists and declared them "unwanted".

Non-cadre candidates of 40th BCS formed a human chain today, demanding reinstatement of previous appointment policies of Public Service Commission and repeal of new procedure for non-cadre appointment. The human chain was formed at the base of Anti-terrorism Raju Sculpture on Dhaka University campus at 10:30 am today. Non-cadre candidates from different places of the country, including students of Dhaka University,  joined the human chain expressing solidarity.   At the human chain, they made a six point-demand. The demands are: to repeal the new appointment policy for non-cadres of 40th-44th BCS, to provide all posts of 40th BCS non-cadres which have been provided to the 36th-38th BCS non-cadres, to appoint the highest number of non-cadres who have been on the waiting list, to appoint non-cadres following the appointment policies of 34th to 38th BCS (non-cadre), and more. The candidates said that after the appointment of the cadre posts in the last few BCS, PSC recommended the appointment of the remaining candidates as non-cadre on the basis of merit until the results of the new BCS are published. However, according to the new rules, in case of the ongoing 40th, 41st, 43rd and 44th BCS, the demand for vacant posts will be reviewed and recommended for non-cadre posts.    They said that the decision to give desired posts to the next BCS candidates is illogical as their rights are being undermined. Read: 40th BCS examinees stage sit-in demanding re-evaluation of result They also said that following the process of the previous BCSs, the PSC sent letters to various ministries and departments asking for the list of vacant posts for recommendations for non-cadre posts in the 40th BCS.  Meanwhile, the list of vacant posts has arrived in PSC, which was waiting to be published.  But these posts are not allotted for 40th BCS now. Mohammad Musa, a candidate of 40th BCS (non-cadre), said, “The new policy of PSC shall not be applicable for us. Because we have given the exam, following the then system and waited for years. The new policy of PSC could be applicable for 45th BCS candidate, not for us.”

Gregorian Society, a legally registered body representing the alumni of St Gregory's High School and College, became operational on September 18, after it was issued the certificate of registration by the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms.  On October 5, the first meeting of the executive council of The Gregorian Society (TGS) was held at the Gregorian Alumni Club premises, according to a media statement. Along with the endorsement of the executive council comprising 25 members, several other important decisions were adopted to ensure the smooth operation of the TGS. An advisory council, consisting of prominent Gregorians who have made immense contributions in their professional fields in Bangladesh, is also being formed. Yousuf  Rahman (Babu), class of 1967, the former Bangladesh national cricketer and Syed Ahsan Habib (Rana), class of 1979, were unanimously nominated as the president and general secretary, respectively. Both of them, along with the entire executive council will be in charge on an ad-hoc basis until December 31, 2023. By this time, an annual general meeting (AGM) will be held, leading towards the election or selection of a new executive council.  Membership enrollment, which is open to all Gregorians from all over the world, has started.    

Members of Students Against Torture (SAT) on Thursday formed a human chain near the Raju Memorial Sculpture on Dhaka University (DU) campus, demanding action against the perpetrators of the attack on a programme organised on the third death anniversary of Abrar Fahad. SAT members organised the programme under the banner of 'General Students', which was joined by at least 20 others. Saleh Uddin Sifat, convener of SAT, said, "We demand justice for the attack and the release of the 24 activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, who were arrested and sent to jail without doing anything wrong." "The one-eyed behaviour of Bangladesh police has again been exposed, as the attack was launced by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists that left members  of the other party badly injured," he added. Demanding the release of the activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, Nusrat Tabassum, a 4th year student of political science, also a member of SAT, said, "Three Chhatra Odhikar Parishad activists could not appear in exams as they are in jail." Read: Abrar Fahad murder: Expelled Buet student joins online class after obtaining stay order Protesting against the BCL attack, Ahnaf Sayed Khan, a student of DU's Urdu department and a member of SAT, said, "Abrar was one who loved the country and sacrificed his life for the country. Attack on his memorial programme directly means disrespect to the country." On October 7, activists of Dhaka University unit of the Chhatra League allegedly carried out the attack on the programme organised by Chatra Odhikar Parishad in memory of deceased BUET student Abrar Fahad. Later, BCL activists allegedly launched another attack on the injured Chhatra Odhikar Parishad activists at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. However, police detained 24 activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad. Later, two charges were filed aginst them on a complaint from Nazim Uddin, organising secretary of the Chhatra League's central committee who was injured in the attack. All the 24 activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad were subsequently produced in a court that sent them to judicial custody.