United News of Bangladesh

The Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) elections were conducted fairly and peacefully, according to the election observation team led by Professor Rafiqul Islam. Speaking at a press conference held at the Vice Chancellor’s conference room on Thursday evening, Professor Rafiqul Islam said the observation team visited every polling station during the election process. “We spoke to voters and closely monitored the voting process. Based on our observations, we’ve prepared a report for the registrar. We found that the voting was conducted in a fair and peaceful manner,” he said. He added that no formal complaints of vote rigging were received by the team. “No one came to us with any allegations regarding irregularities,” he noted. RUCSU Election 2025: Jote Leads Center Stage Politics, Promising Fresh Faces Surfacing However, he acknowledged that voting took longer in some halls due to the large number of voters. Meanwhile, a total of 69.83 percent of registered students cast their votes in the RUCSU elections. Polling began at 9:00 am and continued until 4:00 pm.  

A total of 69.83 percent votes were cast in the elections to the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election, officials confirmed on Thursday. Election Commissioner of RUCSU, Mostafa Kamal Akand, came up with the final turnout after the end of voting. Balloting of RUCSU began at 9am and continued until 4pm. All ballot boxes were taken to Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium for counting. The ballot papers would be bundled into groups of 100 for efficient counting, which will be conducted using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) machines under the supervision of a panel of experts, said the Commissioner. "The final results will be prepared in three phases," said Commissioner Akand, adding that counting for one hall will begin only after the results of another are finalised. As a result, it may take 12 to 15 hours to complete the full counting process and declare results for all 283 posts. Although counting was scheduled to begin at 5pm, it officially started around 6:30pm. The entire counting process is being displayed live on LED screens set up at Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium and the Shaheed Minar premises. Besides, according to the university’s election observation team, the long-awaited RUCSU election was held in a free, fair and peaceful environment. Professor Rafiqul Islam, head of the observer team, said, “We visited each polling centre and spoke with voters and election officials. Based on our observations, we have submitted a written report to the Registrar confirming that the election was conducted smoothly.” He further stated that no complaints of vote rigging were received during the day. “We didn’t observe any malpractice. However, due to a large number of voters in some halls, the process took longer than expected,” he added. Some 247 candidates are contesting 23 posts in the central RUCSU election, while 58 candidates are vying for five seats in the university senate. For the hall union polls, 597 candidates are contesting 252 posts across 17 residential halls, with 42 candidates elected unopposed. In the central RUCSU race, 18 candidates are running for vice president (VP), 13 for general secretary (GS), and 16 for assistant general secretary (AGS). For security, around 2,000 police personnel, along with six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 12 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been deployed to avoid untoward incidents.

The C (JnU) unit of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has installed a washing machine and hot-and-cold water filter at the Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani student hall, as part of its ongoing ‘Safe Water Drinking Project’. The equipment was installed on Thursday afternoon to address the needs of residential students, particularly regarding access to clean water and laundry facilities. Farzana Haque Lubna, a resident of the hall and a student of the Sociology Department, said there was a shortage of safe drinking water filters in our hall. “We also faced difficulties with washing clothes. This initiative by Chhatra Shibir will help ease our troubles,” she added. Tisha Parveen, a student from the Anthropology Department, added, “Chhatra Shibir is taking student-friendly steps, which is commendable. There are several ongoing issues in the hall, and such initiatives help address them.” Md. Riazul Islam, president of the JnU unit of Chhatra Shibir, said, “We installed a modern washing machine and a hot-and-cold water filter based on the needs of the female students in the hall. We want to stand by students and address their concerns.” Chhatra Shibir Secretary Abdul Alim Arif said that the installation is part of the organization’s wider ‘Safe Water Drinking Project’ aimed at improving student facilities. Professor Dr. Anjuman Ara, provost of Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall, expressed her appreciation, saying, “Our hall needed these facilities. I thank Chhatra Shibir for this initiative.” Chhatra Shibir’s Organizing Secretary Mohammad Zahed, Office Secretary Ibrahim Khalil, Finance Secretary Mostafizur Rahman, and other leaders and activists of the organization, also present.

The Department of English at East West University (EWU) on Thursday hosted its annual inter-university literary festival, Foodi Presents EWU Lit-Carnival 2025, transforming the campus into a vibrant hub of creativity and cultural exchange. The day-long event drew more than 200 participants and visitors from 22 public and private universities across the country, celebrating the spirit of literature, performance, and imagination through a diverse lineup of competitions and activities. This year’s Lit-Carnival featured several exciting segments, including Spot Poetry and Recitation, Comic-Con and Cosplay, Poster Presentation, Drama, and Masquerade. Beyond the competitions, attendees also enjoyed a literature-themed food court and a popular used-book swap, adding to the lively, community-driven atmosphere of the festival. The inaugural session was graced by Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of EWU. Luva Nahid Choudhury, Director General of Bengal Foundation, attended as the Chief Guest and officially inaugurated the festival stalls at the university courtyard. A major highlight of the event was the Spot Poetry competition, which was judged by renowned literary figures including Munize Manzur, Member, Board of Trustees, EWU and Principal of Sunbeams School, Dhaka; alongside Professor Dr Fakrul Alam, Adviser to the Department of English and former Pro Vice Chancellor of EWU. The carnival concluded with a grand award ceremony in the evening, where Professor Dr Shams Rahman, Vice Chancellor of East West University, attended as the Special Guest and delivered the closing remarks, commending the students and organizers for their creative efforts and inter-university collaboration.  

Not a single student from nine colleges in Kurigram district managed to pass the 2025 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination. The nine colleges are Singar Dabrihat College in Rajarhat upazila, Char Shoulmari Adarsha Mohila College in Roumari, Bagua Anantapur School and College in Ulipur, Rashed Khan Menon College in Phulbari, Tapurchar School and College in Kurigram Sadar, Samaj Kalyan Women's College in Nageshwari, Chilakhana Model College, Kuti Payradanga School and College, and Dhaldanga School and College in Bhurungamari. Reacting to the outcome, officials of Kurigram District Education Office said it will take necessary steps after reviewing the results in detail. The dismal performance has triggered disappointment among students, parents, and educationists across the district. Meanwhile, the overall national HSC pass rate dropped to 58.83%, a sharp decline of 19 percentage points compared to last year.

The vote counting in the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election began on Thursday afternoon after the long-awaited polling ended amid a peaceful manner.  Official results are expected to be announced within 15 to 17 hours of the election, according to election officials. Balloting of RUCSU began at 9am and continued until 4pm. After visiting several centres while briefing media at Zubery Bhaban on Thursday morning, RU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Saleh Hasan Naqib expressed optimism that the voter turnout would reach 70 percent. RUCSU Election 2025: Jote Leads Center Stage Politics, Promising Fresh Faces Surfacing Thanking all for their cooperation, the VC said the voting was being held peacefully and no reports of an unexpected incident was found. This marked the 17th RUCSU election in the 72-year history of RU. No student union polls have been held at RU since 1990. After several delays and rescheduled dates, students finally exercised their voting rights to elect their representatives. Voting took place in 17 centres across nine academic buildings, with a total of 990 booths. The university authority said they have procured a sufficient number of watermark reader machines for vote counting. The election activities are being monitored through CCTV cameras, and transparent ballot boxes were used. RUCSU elections underway after 35 years  Though the university administration listed 28,901 students as voters, with 11,305 female and 17,595 male students respectively, it is yet to be known how many students cast their votes. This time, 247 candidates are contesting 23 posts in the central RUCSU election, while 58 candidates are vying for five seats in the university senate. For the hall union polls, 597 candidates are contesting 252 posts across 17 residential halls, with 42 candidates elected unopposed. No extra ballots printed for RUCSU election: EC In the central RUCSU race, 18 candidates are running for vice president (VP), 13 for general secretary (GS), and 16 for assistant general secretary (AGS). For security, around 2,000 police personnel, along with six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 12 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been deployed to avoid untoward incidents.

A total of 15 educational institutions under  Mymensingh Education Board recorded a zero pass rate in this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations. Among them, seven institutions are from Mymensingh, two from Jamalpur, four from Netrakona, and two from Sherpur. Mymensingh Education Board Chairman Professor Dr Md Shahidullah disclosed the information at a press briefing at 10 am on Thursday. This year, the board recorded a pass rate of 51.54 percent with 39,096 students passing out of 75,855 who appeared for the exams. Of the successful candidates, 16,676 are boys and 22,420 are girls, showing better performance by female students. HSC results: Girls ahead of boys in pass rate, GPA-5 achievement again A total of 2,684 students obtained GPA-5 including 1,117 boys and 1,567 girls. The pass rate in the science group stood at 76.90 percent while the humanities and business studies groups saw lower rates — 45.64 percent and 41.12 percent respectively. Only three institutions under the board achieved a 100 percent pass rate — Mymensingh Girls’ Cadet College, Charjithar High School and College in Ishwarganj, and Abdul Jabbar Rabeya Khatun High School and College in Khaliajuri, Netrakona. The board chairman emphasized the need for collective efforts from teachers, guardians, students, and managing committees to improve education standards. A total of 306 institutions took part in the exams under the board while 51 students were expelled for adopting unfair means.

Dhaka Education Board has topped the list of the nine general education boards in this year’s HSC and equivalent exams results, in both pass rate and achieving GPA-5. The lowest pass rate was recorded under Cumilla Board at 48.86 percent. Dhaka board saw a 64.62 percent pass rate with 26, 063 students securing highest GPA-5 grade. HSC results: Overall pass rate falls to 58.83%; a sharp 19% decline This year, the average pass rate of the 11 education boards is 58.83 percent, a fall by nearly 19 percent compared to the past year. Rajshahi board saw 59.40 percent pass rate, Barishal 62.57 percent, Dinajpur 57.49 percent, Chattogram 52.57 percent, Sylhet 51.86 percent, Mymensingh  51.54 percent and Jashore  50.20 percent.

Female students have once again outshined their male counterparts in both pass rates and GPA-5 achievements in this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations. Among the total students, 3, 93,096 girls and 3,33,864 boys passed the exams. The average pass rate of female students stood at 62.97 percent against 54.60 percent of male students. HSC results: Overall pass rate falls to 58.83%; a sharp 19% decline Girls also led in securing the highest grade GPA-5. Of the total 69,097 students who achieved GPA-5, 37,044 were girls while 32,053 were boys.

A total of 69,097 students have achieved the highest GPA-5 in this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations, marking a significant decline compared to previous years. In 2024, 145,911 students earned GPA-5, showing a drop of 76,814 students this year. HSC results: Overall pass rate falls to 58.83%; a sharp 19% decline Among the GPA-5  achievers, 26,063 in the Dhaka Board, 10,137 in Rajshahi, 2,707 in Cumilla, 5,995 in Jashore, 6,097 in Chattogram, 1,674 in Barishal, 1,602 in Sylhet, 6,260 in Dinajpur, 2,684 in Mymensingh, 4,268 in the Madrasah Board, and 1,610 in the Technical Education Board.