United News of Bangladesh

If anyone is seen smoking publicly on the premises of Dhaka University’s Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, a fine ranging from a minimum of Tk 50 to a maximum of Tk 300 will be imposed. A notice regarding this was issued by the hall office on Monday. The notice mentions, “For the information of all residential students of Zahurul Haq Hall, it is hereby informed that, in order to maintain a healthy, safe, and education-friendly environment within the hall premises, the following decisions have been taken.” ‘If anyone is seen smoking publicly on the hall premises, a fine ranging from a minimum of Tk 50 to a maximum of Tk 300 will be imposed according to the prevailing government law.’ ‘Drug consumption prohibited: If evidence is found of consuming or possessing yaba, marijuana, heroin, or any other kind of narcotic substance, the concerned student will be expelled from the hall in the presence of their guardian.’ The notice stated that the purpose of these decisions is to ensure a healthy, clean, and peaceful environment for all students of the hall. Therefore, all students are requested to strictly abide by these rules. Times Higher Edu Ranking: Dhaka University climbs 200 places The provost said, “There had been complaints for many days from non-smokers regarding smoking. They said that some restrictions should be imposed on smoking in common spaces so that non-smokers are not affected by it. They had also suggested creating a smoking zone, but that, in a way, promotes smoking.” “This is mainly to create awareness. Anyone may smoke in their own room or in a place where it does not affect others.”    

More than a hundred people were injured in a series of clashes between students of private Daffodil International University and City University in Savar, following a trivial incident that escalated from Sunday night to early Monday. Several structures of the institutions were vandalised, and eight to ten vehicles were set on fire.  A tense situation was prevailing in the area as of filing this report at 10:30am. Witnesses said the incident began around 7pm on Sunday in the Khagan area of Savar when a Daffodil student walking past Bachelor Paradise was accidentally hit by saliva spat on the road by a City University student. A heated argument ensued between them, leading to a scuffle. Although the situation was temporarily calmed, tensions soon spread across both campuses. Later, City University students allegedly attacked the Bachelor Paradise residence, which houses Daffodil University students, causing damage to valuables. Barishal University suspends four students over football match clash Despite several emergency meetings held throughout the night by university administrations and student representatives in an effort to resolve the matter, tensions continued to rise. Around midnight, a group of Daffodil students, equipped with homemade weapons, retaliated by attacking City University. They broke through the main gate and vandalised several offices, including those of the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and Registrar, as well as the conference room, computer lab, accounts office, and other facilities. Besides, eight to 10 vehicles were set ablaze, and valuables were looted during the attack. The violence, which continued until around 4am, left over a hundred students injured.  Of them, 30–35 were admitted to hospitals in Savar and Dhaka for treatment. Following the clashes, several nearby universities, schools and colleges remained closed on Monday. Officer-in-Charge Jewel Mia of Savar Police Station told UNB that additional police and other law enforcement personnel have been deployed, and the situation is currently under control.  However, he said,  tensions remain high among students on the campuses.

A female student of Rajshahi University (RU) drowned while swimming in the university’s swimming pool on Sunday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Saima Hossain, a 2020-21 session student of the Department of Sociology. She was a resident of Kushtia. Confirming the incident to UNB, RU Proctor Professor Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman said Saima went to the swimming pool in the afternoon to swim but suddenly drowned. Her classmates rescued her and rushed her to the emergency department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

A partial convening committee of the University Teachers Link (UTL) at Jagannath University (JnU) has been formed. The 15-member committee has appointed Professor Dr. Abu Laek from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering as the Convener, and Dr. Asadur Rahman Sadi, Associate Professor from the Department of Law, as the Member Secretary. On Sunday (October 26) at 2 p.m. Professor Md. Ataur Rahman Biswas, the Central Convener of UTL, will officially announce the committee at the university’s teachers’ lounge. In a written statement, Mohammad Belal Hossain said,In the context of the independence of 1947, the liberation of 1971, and the July Revolution of 2024, UTL has emerged with a clear vision. The vision of the organization is to build a dignified, independent, and committed academia that adheres to the standards of education, research, and moral responsibility. Alongside, we aim to work on five fundamental principles academic excellence, self-respect, national commitment, religious tolerance, and collective responsibility.” Regarding membership, he said, “Any teacher from public or private universities in Bangladesh who agrees with the principles, vision, mission, goals, and activities of UTL is eligible to become a member.” In response to a journalist’s question, Dr. Mohammad Belal Hossain explained, “Ideologically, UTL is an organization of teachers who believe in Bangladeshi nationalism and Muslim nationalism. It is a platform for centrist, right-wing, and faith-based academics a community of believers. We have made it clear that people of any faith may join UTL, but those who identify as secular or non-religious cannot become members.” When asked about UTL’s role in the DUCSU elections, Professor Md. Ataur Rahman Biswas, the Central Convener, said, “UTL has always advocated for fair and democratic DUCSU elections. We provided various suggestions to the administration and monitored each polling center on the election day. Likewise, we will provide full support to the administration to ensure a free and fair student council election at Jagannath University, Inshallah.” Other members of the committee include: Joint Conveners Professor Dr. Muhammad Nurullah (Department of Islamic Studies) and Professor Dr. Tarek Muhammad Shamsul Arefin (Department of Economics), Joint Member Secretary Assistant Professor Ashraf Uddin (Department of Geography and Environment), Treasurer Associate Professor Muhammad Abdus Salam (Department of Philosophy). In addition, nine more faculty members will serve as general members of the committee. The event was attended by Professor Dr. Mosharraf Hossain, Treasurer of UTL Central Committee and Chairman of the Department of Finance at the University of Dhaka and several teachers from various departments of Jagannath University.  

Barishal University (BU) has taken disciplinary action against 25 students over a clash between two departments that erupted during a football match about one and a half months ago. Four students have been suspended for six months for their involvement in the incident while 21 others have been asked to submit undertakings in the presence of their guardians, said BU Proctor Dr Rahat Hossain Faisal. He said the university syndicate approved the actions during its meeting on October 11, and the decision was published on Thursday after formal approval of the agenda resolution. The suspended students are Shawon Sheikh and Sazzad Hossain of the Accounting and Information Systems (AIS) Department, Shahariar Shawon of the Marketing Department and Accounting Department student Tarikul Islam Nayon. Barishal University students begin academic shutdown Shawon Sheikh and Sazzad Hossain have been expelled for one semester. Tarikul Islam Nayon has been handed either a six-month expulsion or a Tk 40,000 fine as an alternative punishment while Shahariar Shawon faces a similar six-month expulsion or a Tk 20,000 fine. Besides, 10 students from Marketing and 11 from AIS have been instructed to appear with their guardians before the proctor’s office within seven working days and submit written bonds. The clash took place on September 12 at a playground adjacent to the campus and was later reviewed by the syndicate.

The admission tests for undergraduate and honours first-year programmes at Khulna University (KU) for the 2025-26 academic session will be held on December 18 and 19. According to a notice issued by the university registrar’s office, the ‘A’ and ‘B’ unit exams are scheduled for December 18. The ‘A’ unit covers disciplines under the School of Science, Engineering and Technology, while the ‘B’ unit includes those under the School of Biological Sciences. On December 19, the ‘C’ and ‘D’ unit exams will be held. The ‘C’ unit comprises disciplines from the School of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Education and Fine Arts, while the ‘D’ unit represents the School of Management and Business Administration. Jahangirnagar University admission test starts Sunday Detailed information regarding the admission tests and application procedures will be available on KU’s official website from October 29. The university has advised students to regularly visit the website for updates and instructions.

Participants at a roundtable discussion on Wednesday called for collective action to bridge the education-to-employment divide to ensure more productive workforce, higher economic growth, and improved individual well-being. They suggested forging strategic partnerships and offering innovation funding and in-kind support from both public and private sectors for bridging the gap. They were speaking at the high-level roundtable discussion titled “From Classrooms to Careers: Strengthening Bangladesh’s Future” organised by SAJIDA Foundation at a hotel in the capital. While presiding over the discussion, SAJIDA Foundation Chairperson Farooq Sobhan, also a former diplomat, said Bangladesh has lagged behind many countries, whose economy was once weaker than Bangladesh’s, only because of low quality of education. He said, “Bangladesh was once ahead of four Asian countries – China, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam – but they all have surpassed us. The main reason [behind their progress] is education. It was quality education and education for all.” “We can do it in Bangladesh. But there are many challenges that we need to overcome. We need to take a holistic approach for enhancing the quality of education,” he added calling all stakeholders to work together for quality education. The roundtable brought together government policymakers, business leaders, academics, and development partners to discuss how Bangladesh can better align education with the needs of a rapidly changing economy. In her opening remarks, Zahida Fizza Kabir, CEO of SAJIDA Foundation, highlighted that Bangladesh stands at a critical crossroads with one of the world’s youngest populations. “Our youth are our greatest asset, only if we equip them with the skills and mindsets needed for the future. If education does not keep pace with today’s realities, our demographic dividend could easily turn into a demographic burden,” she said. Sal Khan, Founder of Khan Academy, spoke at the event virtually. He emphasised the transformative power of technology in democratising education. “When students are given access to high-quality learning tools and teachers are empowered to personalise instruction, transformation happens at scale. Bangladesh has the potential to lead this change by combining innovation, inclusivity, and the dedication of its educators,” he said. He commended the early success of Khan Academy Bangladesh, calling it “an inspiring example of how local partnerships and global collaboration can reimagine education systems for the future.” The progress of a pilot project run by Khan Academy Bangladesh was presented at the roundtable, which shows that across 31 pilot schools and 5,342 students, learners on average demonstrated a ninefold increase in learning mastery and a sixfold rise in engagement. While presenting the progress Azwa Nayeem, CEO of Khan Academy Bangladesh and Strategy Lead for Education at SAJIDA Foundation, said teachers at the schools are now using data and digital tools to tailor instruction to each student’s needs. “The results show that transformation is not only possible, it is happening when teachers are empowered and supported with the right tools,” she added. Participants shared insights on how the private and public sector could collaborate to make education more relevant to the 21st-century workforce.

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) staged a sit-in on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the immediate announcement of elections for the Shahjalal University Central Students' Union (SUCSU). A group of students began their demonstration in front of the university’s administrative building around 3pm. During the protest, they chanted slogans such as “Administration, give us SUCSU — or admit it’s a farce,” “SUCSU is our right, no one can deny it,” and “Administration beware, SUCSU in November.” Protesters said they have repeatedly placed peaceful demands before the administration for holding the long-overdue SUCSU elections. Despite verbal assurances from university authorities, no concrete steps have been taken so far. “We’ve made it clear — we will not accept any more excuses,” said one of the student protesters. Shahjalal University revises SUCSU constitution, sets 23 central and 9 hall council posts Earlier, on October 19, the students formed a human chain and gave the administration a 48-hour ultimatum to announce a roadmap for the SUCSU election. However, the deadline expired without any response from the authorities, prompting the latest round of protests.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday sent Srishanto Roy, an Electrical and Engineering Department (EEE) student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), in a case filed under the Cyber Security Act. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ehsanul Islam passed the order when police produced him before the court seeking jail. The court also fixed Thursday for the next hearing. Earlier on Tuesday, some students of BUET staged demonstrations demanding punishment of Sreeshanto Roy for sexually harassing a classmate. Allegations have been brought against Shreeshanto for hurting ‘religious sentiment’ and cyberbullying. A security guard of the university on Wednesday filed a case against him with Chwakbazar Police Station on charge of sexual harassment, making indecent comments about girls on social media platform and hurting religious sentiment. After getting a complaint, police arrested him on Wednesday.

The government is set to proceed with printing, binding and distributing 12.53 crore free textbooks for secondary students in the 2026 academic session. The Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) on Wednesday gave approval to three major procurement proposals placed by the Secondary and Higher Education Division. Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed virtually chaired the meeting of the committee held at Bangladesh Secretariat. According to official sources, the proposals cover the printing of textbooks for students of classes six, seven and eight across secondary schools, Dakhil madrasas and technical education institutions — in both Bangla and English versions. For the Class Six textbooks, the total estimated procurement cost stands at Tk 137.87 crore, under which a total of 4.36 crore copies will be printed by 77 selected firms out of 98 bids submitted. Similarly, for the Class Seven textbooks, the government plans to spend Tk 150.01 crore to print 4.15 crore copies, to be produced by 91 firms chosen from among 100 bidders. Meanwhile, the Class Eight textbooks will involve a printing contract worth Tk 156.92 crore, covering 4.02 crore copies to be printed by 90 firms, also selected through a competitive bidding process. Govt committee approves over 5.5 core copies of school textbooks All three proposals were placed by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, which will also implement the projects. Upon scrutiny, the committee reviewed the cost structures, tendering process, and volume of work for each grade before recommending the proposals for approval. Every year, the government prints and distributes millions of free textbooks to schoolchildren across the country to ensure access to education and prevent dropouts. The timely printing and distribution of these books ahead of each academic year remains a key priority for the Ministry of Education. Officials said the recommendations are expected to be forwarded to the Cabinet for final approval soon, paving the way for printing to commence so that all students can receive their new textbooks on the first day of the 2026 academic year.