United News of Bangladesh

The number of students taking the Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations in Jashore Board has declined this year, scheduled to begin on Sunday. As the pass rate was high in the last year, the number of irregular candidates declined, said Prof. Madhav Chandra Rudra, controller of Examination of Jashore Board. Besides, due to Covid-19, many may have shifted to other places, or have stopped their studies and engaged in some other work, resulting in a downward trend, he added. Last year, 1,28,167 candidates (1 lakh 28 thousand 167) participated in the HSC examination from Jashore Board while 1,00,709 (1 lakh 709) candidates are participating this year, he added.  

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations for the academic session 2021-2022 will begin across the country Sunday (November 06, 2022) with the Bangla first paper. More than 12.03 lakh students are expected to take the tests at 2,649 centres, from 9,181 institutions under 11 education boards; among them, there are 622,796 male students and 580,611 female students. According to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, written HSC exams will begin on November 6 and will continue till December 13. Practical exams will be held from December 15 to 22. Read more: SSC, HSC for 2023 will be held on all subjects The exams will be held from 11 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm. All coaching centres across Bangladesh will remain closed till December 14 during the exams. Also, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed a ban on the movement of anyone except HSC examinees and exam officials, within 200 yards of test centres in the capital. The DMP announced the new step in a statement Thursday. Read more: SSC, HSC Certificate Information Change or Correction Process in Bangladesh The public will be completely barred from travelling within 200 yards of test centres to ensure "proper and lawful" exams, according to DMP Commissioner Khandker Gulam Faruq. The order will remain in force until the end of the HSC and equivalent exams in Bangladesh.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on Saturday served a stern warning against anyone tries to deteriorate the law-and-order situation. "Police have been dealing with any crime including militancy, terrorism and drugs with a 'zero tolerance' policy. If anyone tries to worsen the law-and-order situation, appropriate action will be taken against him," he said. The IGP came up with remarks while talking to reporters in Sylhet on Saturday. Also read: DMP Commissioner asks DB to work considering changing crime patterns In response to a question from the journalists, the IGP said that the police have an obligation to perform their duties as per the instructions of the Election Commission during the election period. "During the election, the police will perform their duties according to the rules and regulations of the Election Commission," he said. In response to another question regarding drugs, the IGP said that drugs are a social problem. Police operations against drugs are continuing. Most of the detainees in the jail are on drug charges. He hoped that, with the joint efforts of all, the drug problem would be solved. On problems faced by expatriates, the IGP noted that remittances are earned by the country through expatriates. A desk has already been set up in the Police headquarters for the welfare of the expatriates, with hotline numbers which remain open round the clock. "We have been giving assistance to expatriates when they contact us with any problem. Besides, the relatives of the expatriates are also provided with services even if they contact through the National Emergency Service number 999," the IGP said. Also read: Militancy under full control in Bangladesh: IGP Militancy under full control in Bangladesh: IGP Later IGP sat in a special welfare meeting with the members of Sylhet Range, Sylhet District Police, Sylhet Metropolitan Police and all the police units based in Sylhet as the chief guest. Meanwhile, the IGP also inaugurated the third and fourth floors of the Sylhet Divisional Police Hospital building and Shaheed Police Inspector Chowdhury Mohammad Abu Kaichar BPM building. He planted saplings of Krishna Chura and Satkara trees in Sylhet Police Lines.

Dhaka University authorities have suspended a student, also an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League, allegedly for harassing a female student on Tuesday in front of Raju sculptor memorial on the university campus. The suspended student is Najmul Alam, a residential student of Masterda Surja Sen Hall and postgraduate student of Institute of Social Welfare and Research of Dhaka University. He is also an activist of Master Da Surja Sen hall Chhatra League.  "Najmul has been suspended for his misbehaviour with a student of a private university on the night of November 1," said a DU press release. He has been asked to respond within next seven days explaining why he should not be expelled from university. Read more: DU student allegedly harasses Brac University student on campus The student allegedly slapped and harassed a girl, who is a law student of Brac University, on the campus during the early hours on Tuesday. But the DU student contradicted and accused the girl of assaulting him. Najmul said the girl was filming floating people who were asleep on footpath. He said that he stopped along with a friend as he was returning on a bike to the university dormitory when he saw the girl and her friends. He said he asked why the girl and her friends were filming the floating people without their permission. An altercation broke out, prompting the girl to slap Najmul, he said. Najmul also retaliated and slapped the girl back. In a video posted online it was seen that the girl using abusive words and slapping the boy. According to an audio recorded by a witness some details have come out. "After my birthday celebration, I was standing in front of the sculpture with my friends and taking pictures. At that time two boys stopped their bike and started questioning us using bad words against me.  They teased me and slapped me when I protested," the girl was heard in the audio. Najmul told UNB that the girl also used abusive words when he questioned their presence on the campus during early hours on Tuesday. Read more: Female student complains of harassment at DU dorm He said they were filming the people who were asleep on the footpaths and attires of the floating people were not in order.  "When I asked why the girl was taking pictures of the people without their consent, she said her father has the ability to buy the entire DU campus multiple times," he added. "When I took my mobile phone to record her abusive words, she again insulted me,” he said. "At one point she slapped me, and I slapped her in return,” he said. The girl filed a complaint with the Proctor’s office on Tuesday.    

The fine arts students of Chattogram University (CU) Thursday started boycotting classes for an indefinite period to press home their 22-point demand, including renovation of dormitories and the library. The other major demands are supply of pure drinking water, bus service for students; enough dining, canteen, and washroom facilities, supply of art materials, maintenance of hygiene, smooth power supplies in all classrooms, and internet connection. More than 150 students of the Institute of Fine Arts staged a sit-in protest in front of the institute in the port city in the morning, declaring their demands. Read: 20 injured in BCL clash in Chittagong University, 52 held Khandakar Masrul Al Fahim, a protesting student, said: "We have called for the boycott of classes as we found no solutions to our problems despite making repeated complaints." Professor Pranab Mitra Chowdhury, director of the institute, said: "We already talked to the authority about the problems the students are facing and hope to find a solution soon."

The printing work of textbooks will start from Thursday with aim to distribute those among students on the first day of 2023, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday. “We want to distribute textbooks on time as well as maintaining their quality,” the minister told reporters in reply to a question at the Secretariat. “Now if paper pulp is not available, then we have to provide paper even if it is secondary pulp. There will some differences in the quality of paper, but we have to ensure acceptable quality,” she added. Read more: Students to get new books on first day of 2023: Dipu Moni Dipu Moni said it is not possible to check all 35 crore textbooks. “We try our best to maintain the quality as much as possible.” The government celebrates textbook festival on the first day of every year to distribute new books among students which was not held in the last two years due to Covid pandemic. Now the pandemic is under control, the government wants to return to the old tradition, said the minister. On October 29, Dipu Moni said textbooks will be distributed at schools countrywide on the first day of 2023.  

A student of Jagannath University died of dengue fever at a hospital in Narail on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Sheikh Fazlul Haque Roman, co-organising secretary of the newly announced committee of Jagannath University Chhatra Dal and son of Oliar Sheikh of Tona village of Naragati in Narail district. He was a student of the 2014-15 session at the Zoology Department of the university. According to the hospital, Roman was admitted to Narail Sadar Hospital after suffering from dengue on Saturday (October 29) night. He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at the hospital on Sunday (October 30) at 7 pm. Meanwhile, Md Asaduzzaman Aslam, President of Jagannath University Chhatra Dal and General Secretary Sujan Molla expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Roman. They prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.

All primary schools in the country will be operated under a uniform shift from January next year, Senior Secretary to Bangladesh Primary and Mass Education Ministry Aminul Islam Khan said today (October 30, 2022). The secretary said this during a discussion with the media, on the occasion of his last working day at the ministry. “Ninety percent work towards introducing one shift in all primary schools has been completed. We’ll also extend the duration of classes gradually,” Aminul said. Also read: Mustafa Jabbar wants cyber security in primary school curriculum He added that the government has taken the decision due to its inability to construct new school buildings. “We’ve taken the decision considering the growing number of students and teachers. Once the single shift starts, no school will be closed and no teacher will lose job. We’ll initiate pre-primary and primary education at the schools which have dual rooms, and we’ll construct new buildings where possible,” Aminul added. Asked about the timing of classes, Aminul said that class hours will be extended to 4-5 hours from the current three hours. Also read: 342 primary schools in Dhaka will get aesthetic reconstruction: State Minister “There is a difference between class hours in Dhaka city and the rural areas. In Dhaka, classes start early, while in the villages, classes start late. Our aim is to ensure the presence of teachers in classrooms. We want teachers to give lessons regularly and for a longer period of time. That’s why we’ll increase the class hours,” Aminul said. Replying to a question, Aminul added that his Ministry will complete the process of transferring and recruiting primary school teachers before the coming Victory Day. “We could’ve published the results of the Bangladesh primary teacher recruitment exam earlier. We didn’t do it as some teachers had requested the ministry for transfer, which was pending due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re trying so that teachers who have been with a school for 10-12 years can be transferred after every three years,” Aminul said. Read More: Online transfer system of govt primary teachers resumes.

Education Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday said free textbooks will be distributed at schools countrywide on the first day of 2023. "Students will get their textbooks on time," Dipu Moni said while speaking at the 41st general meeting of the Bangladesh Publishers and Booksellers Association (BAPUS) in Dhaka. However, BAPUS General Secretary Zahurul Islam said: "There is a serious paper shortage now. If 50 percent of the paper stocks cannot be imported duty-free, it will not be possible for us to arrange all the textbooks for the students by January 1."

Universal College Bangladesh (UCB) has introduced degree programmes from the University of London under the academic direction of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). With 100 percent curriculum and testing from LSE, the courses at UCB initially include BSc business and management, BSc finance and BSc accounting and finance, according to a media statement. The inauguration event was held Thursday in Dhaka. Dipu Moni, minister of education, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, deputy minister of education, Tipu Munshi, minister of commerce, Robert Dickson, high commissioner of UK to Bangladesh, Professor Wim A Van der Stede, dean of LSE Extended Education, were present. Read: AIT launches Yunus Professional Masters Degree Universal College Bangladesh is a part of STS Group, Bangladesh's largest private sector conglomerate in healthcare and education, operating brands such as Evercare Hospitals, DPS STS Schools and International School Dhaka. Last year, UCB introduced Monash pathway programmes in Bangladesh where students could undertake their Monash degree journey here. Zarif Munir, senior managing director at Boston Consulting Group and director at UCB, said: "Such programmes can potentially save invaluable dollar reserves for a nation that annually repatriates close to $4.5 billion on outward tuition fee remittances for Bangladesh students studying abroad."