United News of Bangladesh

Professor Nakib M Nasrullah, dean at law faculty of Dhaka University, has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of Islamic University in Kushtia. The government on Monday appointed him to the post for the next four years. A gazette notification, signed by Md Shahinur Islam, deputy secretary at the Secondary and Higher Secondary Division of the Ministry of Education, was issued in this regard. Prof Nakib M Nasrullah was appointed upon approval by the President and Chancellor of the university following Section-10 of Islamic University Act-1980.

Fifteen students from Aichi Medical College, a private institution in the capital, say they are grappling with an uncertain future due to ongoing irregularities and alleged corruption by college authorities. Despite being established some years ago, the college has yet to secure approval from the Ministry of Health, leaving students in limbo, they say. At a press conference held at the Jatiya Press Club on Sunday, the students voiced their concerns, accusing the college of obstructing their attempts to transfer to other institutions. Although the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) recently issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for student migration, the students claim the college is creating roadblocks to the process. In a written statement, Israt Jahan, one of the affected students, revealed that they have been boycotting all academic activities since June 2023 in protest. According to her, the college authorities admitted by August 28 that they were unable to secure the necessary ministry approval. “The authorities said they had no objections to our migration but have since become indifferent,” she added. Students have submitted the required documents for migration to the Ministry of Health, yet the college is allegedly delaying the process. Another student highlighted that the college had failed to comply with conditions imposed in 2017 under the Private Medical College Establishment and Management Policy-2011 (amended). As a result, the Ministry temporarily halted the MBBS course from the 2017-18 academic year. While the college challenged the suspension in court and resumed enrolling students in 2018-19, those students have neither been registered by the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) nor recognized by the DGHS. Students further alleged that some faculty members are offering incentives to persuade them to remain at the college, despite its unresolved status. Frustration among the students is growing as they feel their academic lives are slipping away due to the college's mismanagement. Many come from middle-class families and are determined to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors, which they say requires uninterrupted study. The students have urgently called on the Directorate General of Health Services and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to intervene and ensure a smooth migration process, safeguarding their academic futures.

Classes at Dhaka University (DU) resumed on Sunday after more than three months of closure due to unrest centering student-led movement. The campus including Arts building, Social Science Faculty premises, Madhur Canteen, TSC regained its familiar look with the gathering of students since morning. Students expressed their relief and joy after returning to classes after a long break. However, the academic activities of the first year students are scheduled to begin on September 30.  

Dhaka University authorities have  suspended eight students for their alleged involvement in the killing of Tofazzal Hossain, two days after he was  lynched at a dormitory of the university . The decision was disclosed in a press release issued on Saturday. Among the expelled students are three former leaders of the Bangladesh Chhatra League- Jalal Ahmed, a former deputy secretary of science and technology affairs of the organization, Ahsan Ullah, former secretary of mass communication and development affairs, and BCL office secretary Al Hossain Sajjad, a student of Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The other expelled students include Mohammad Sumon of the Department of Soil, Water, and Environment; Muttakin Sakin , of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, Md. Firoz Kabir of the Department of Botany, and two physics department students- Md. Abdus Samad and Wazibul Alam. Six of the eight accused — Jalal Mia, Mohammad Suman, Ahsan Ullah, Muttakin Sakin, Al Hossain Sajjad, and Wazibul Alam — have already been arrested. Dhaka University authorities also announced that the provost of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall has been removed, and a new provost has been appointed to fill the position.    

Six students of Dhaka University, who were arrested in connection with the killing of 35-year-old Tofazzal Hossain inside their hall on Wednesday, gave a confessional statement before court on Friday.  The students are Muhammad Jalal Mia, Suman Mia, Mottakin Shakin, Ahsanullah, Al Hussain Sajjad and Wajibul Alam. They confessed their involvement in the crime before a magistrate, said Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DC) (media and publication) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). The details of the statements could not be known immediately. After recording their statements, they were sent to jail, he added. The victim, Tofazzal, was beaten to death allegedly by a group of students of the hall suspecting him as a thief, on Wednesday night.  The Tofazzal murder case is being investigated by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police very seriously and intensively. “Efforts are on to arrest  other accused involved in the incident and bring them under the law,” added the police officer.  END/UNB/MJ-SIS/ssk

The university administration has decided to prohibit all political activities by students, teachers, officials, and employees on the Dhaka University campus until further notice. This decision was made during an emergency Syndicate meeting held at the Vice-Chancellor's Lounge in the administrative building on Thursday. Multiple Syndicate members confirmed the information following the meeting. The meeting was chaired by DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan, and attended by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Mamun Ahmed, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Sayma Haque Bidisha, and Treasurer Professor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, among other Syndicate members, upon the Vice-Chancellor's invitation. According to a Syndicate member, wishing to remain anonymous, the meeting was held from 7 pm to 8:45 pm before the decision was reached. Another Syndicate member noted that while the primary focus of the meeting was on student politics, the decision extended the ban to all political activities involving students, teachers, officials, and employees.

Prof AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan from the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has been appointed as the 26th Vice-Chancellor of the university for next four years. The Ministry of Education issued a notification in this regard on Thursday, Bhuiyan previously served as the Dean of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and the Convenor of the Dean's Council at BAU. He has also held the position of President of the university's branch of the Agriculturalist Association of Bangladesh (AAB) and has been an elected representative of the university's teachers' association on several occasions.

Shamim Ahmed alias Shamim Molla, a former leader of the  Jahangirnagar University Chhatra League, has died from injuries he had suferred after being lynched by a student mob on the campus. He died on Wednesday night while undergoing treatment at Savar's Gonoshasthaya Samajbhittik Medical College Hospital. Doctor on duty at the hospital Selimuzzaman Sujan confirmed this information. Dr. Selimuzzaman said, "He was brought to the hospital around 9:30 pm. We checked and found him dead. The cause of his death can be confirmed after post-mortem." Ashulia Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md. Kamal Hossain also confirmed Shamim's death. Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, a group of students beat up and injured Shamim Mollah on Jahangirnagar University campus. He was later handed over first to the University Proctoral Body and later to the police, witnesses said. According to university sources, Shamim Molla lived in the area next to the university. He is alleged to have been involved in the attacks on students at the Vice-Chancellor's residence on the night of July 15 during the anti-discrimination student movement. The attacks were allegedly carried out by Chhatra League and outsiders. According to witnesses and security officials, Shamim Molla was caught in a shop near the University's Joy Bangla gate on Wednesday afternoon. On hearing the news, a group of university students went there and starting beating him up.  Later, the university's proctorial team reached the spot. At one point, he was brought to the security wing with the help of security personnel. Then a team of Ashulia police station came to the security office on the information of the proctorial team. Meanwhile, the police and proctorial team interrogated Shamim about the attack on the vice-chancellor's residence on the night of July 15. Later he was handed over to Ashulia police on previously registered case.

Authorities at Dhaka University on Thursday formed a seven-member committee to investigate the death of a man in mob lynching inside the university's Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall.  The victim, Tofazzal, was beaten to death allegedly by a group of students of the hall suspecting him as a thief, hospital and university sources said. "We are shocked at the death of the man," said Dhaka University Proctor Mohammad Saifuddin Ahmed. He said that a seven-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident and submit its report by this evening.  According to witnesses, the man sneaked into the hall on Wednesday evening. Some students then caught and interrogated him about the theft of six mobile phones and wallets from the hall the previous day. Under intense questioning, the man agreed to tell them about the real thieves provided they give him something to eat.   The students fed him, but the man failed to give the promised names. Then the angry students then beat the man for two hours starting from 10 pm, according to the witnesses.  When the proctorial team got informed about the matter, it went to the spot and took the severely injured Tofazzal to hospital for treatment. The doctors declared him dead.  Tofazzal, according to some in Dhaka University campus, was a mentally unstable person.  The deceased Tofazzal hailed from Kathaltoli union of Pathorghata upazila of Barguna district and he lost his parents long ago. The proctor said they are preparing to file a police case. He said the probe committee is headed by residential teacher of Fazlul Haque Muslim hall Dr. Alomgir Kabir. Six other members of the probe committee are Dr. Mohammad Shafiul Alam Khan, Prof. Johir Raihan, Mohammad Mahabub Alam, Dr. Asib Ahmed, and Dr. Touhidul Islam and AKM Nure Alam Siddique.

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has appointed a new vice chancellor, pro-VC, and treasurer to the institution. The appointments were made under the order of President Md. Sahabuddin, with separate notifications issued on Wednesday. Dr AM Sarwaruddin Chowdhury, a professor of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Dhaka University, has been appointed as the new VCr; Dr. Md. Sajedul Karim, of the Mathematics Department at SUST, will take on the role of Pro VC. The position of treasurer has been filled by Dr Md Ismail Hossain of the Social Work department at SUST. The appointments are set for a term of four years, during which the new officials will be entitled to salaries, allowances, and other benefits as per the current regulations. These appointments come in the wake of significant administrative changes at SUST. Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, all top administrative positions, including the Vice-Chancellor, were vacated in response to student protests.