United News of Bangladesh

The twelve day long "NDUB CSE Fest" ended on Saturday at Notre Dame University of Bangladesh in the city which started on October 3. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering of Notre Dame University Bangladesh organised the fest in association with Dhaka Bank Limited. A special closing ceremony was held at the university's own campus. Head of Youth Program of Prothom Alo newspaper Munir Hasan was the chief guest while the special guest was Professor Dr. B. M. Moinul Hossain, Director of Information and Technology, Dhaka University and the guest of honor was Mohammad Abu Zafar, Acting Managing Director of Dhaka Bank Limited. Organisers said the active participation of students from different colleges and universities of Bangladesh makes this event worthwhile. The last day of the event was Tech Talk and the speaker was the renowned Dr. Nova Ahmed. Speakers said that such an arrangement of Notre Dame University Bangladesh to encourage students along with classroom studies is commendable. Programming contest, STEM olympiad, Videographic contest, Project show, and Ideathon contest were organized for the students of various colleges and universities. This beautiful event ended with a cultural program by the students of the computer science and engineering department of the university.

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni said that the next megaprojects in development would focus on education and health. The minister said this at a press conference at the Chandpur Press Club premises on Friday. Read: Prices of essentials to come down soon: Quader She urged journalists to adhere to objectivity and sincerity in their reporting. “Political leaders sometimes attract attention for certain reasons. However, when it garners attention for no apparent reason, it saddens me. I hope you will be more diligent in this regard."

A workshop on interpersonal relationship development was held in the city on Thursday. The workshop was jointly orgnised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health Sector and Institutional Quality Assurance Department of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology. The vice-Chancellor of the University Professor Dr. Muhammad Fazli Elahi was present as the chief guest at the workshop organised at the auditorium of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology on Thursday (October 12) afternoon. Read: Lawyer dies being hit by easybike in Chuadanga Mohammad Salim Hossain, Associate Professor of Psychology Department of Dhaka University, shed light on what needs to be done to develop interpersonal relationships. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Pro vice-Chancellor of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, was present as the special guest on the occasion. Director of Institutional Quality Assurance Prof. Dr. Mohammad Sarwar Morshed delivered the welcome address on the occasion. The workshop was attended by 50 teachers, heads of departments and faculty deans of eight departments of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology. The programme was conducted by Rakhi Ganguly, Focal, Senior Psychologist, Manojatna Outdoor Counseling Centre under Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health Sector.

Russian House in Dhaka recently organized a seminar on higher education opportunities in Russia for the academic year 2024-2025  at Notre Dame College in Dhaka. Director of the Russian House in Dhaka Pavel Dvoychenkov provides updated information on the Russian education system and all details, including the application process, for interested candidates on the online platform https://education-in-russia.com. He said Bangladeshi students can pursue higher education in subjects according to their goals at any university nominated for scholarship in Russia. Besides, he invited all those who are interested in pursuing higher education in Russia and learning Russian literature and culture in depth. Regarding the world-class higher education of Russian alumni and their professional prospects, he said they are holding various high positions in various government services, private companies, and higher education institutions in Bangladesh. He recalled that 110 scholarships were allocated in the last academic year (2023-2024). Due to the huge interest of Bengali students in higher education in Russia, the number of scholarships increased to 124 in the academic year 2024-2025. Read: 124 students get Russian govt's higher education scholarships for 2024-25 Father Hemant Pius Rosario, principal of Notre Dame College, Dhaka, was also present at the seminar. He thanked the director of the Russian House and said that this is the first time that a representative of the Russian government has offered Russian government scholarships to their college for higher education. According to him, many ex-Notre Damians are in prestigious positions at home and abroad after completing their education in the Soviet Union as well as in present-day Russia. Many are currently working on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, a mega project in Bangladesh under the supervision of the Russian government. Read: Applications for UK's Chevening scholarships to open on Sept 12 Soviet-Russian alumni have significantly contributed to the education and socio-economic development activities of Bangladesh and expressed hope that this will continue. To highlight the modern educational system of Russia and the friendship and camaraderie of Russian people in the current context, People's Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) Ph.D students, Bangla Press Club President Barek Kaiser (Ex-Notre Damian), and Dr. Mahmudul Hasan, MD (Oncosurgery), National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin, joined the live video conference. They congratulated the seminar participants and advised them to apply for scholarships provided by the Russian government to get world-class higher education opportunities at Russian universities. Read more: 14 DU students awarded Prof Zia Hayder Memorial Scholarship Various questions expected from the students attending the seminar are answered by the Education Section.

The Bangbandhu Education and Research Council, which conducts multidimensional programmes like exploring the ideas and ideals of Bangabandhu and publishing research works on him, has appointed Prof. Abdul Moin as convener and Prof. Shirajul Haque as secretary member. Prof. Abdul Moin Chowdhury is the vice chancellor of Cumilla University and Shirajul Haque is a professor of govt. Ispahani College and he is the founding General secretary of the organisation. The names of 99 other members of the convening committee of the council will be declared later, the press notification says.Earlier on September 23, the steering committee of the council repealed all the committees including the central committee of the council. The convening committee will be in action till the next council of the organisation. Mentionably, this council was formed by scientist Dr. M A Wazed Mia on 17th march of 2002. The the last committee was formed on 2018 and the time for the council was expired long ago.  

 At least 10 individuals were injured in a clash between two factions of the Chittagong University (CU) unit of ruling party student front, Chhatra League, on Friday.   The clash between the 'Bijoy' and '69' factions of Chittagong University Chhatra League, lasted from 3pm to 4:45pm on Friday. Eyewitnesses said that Azmir, of 69 Group, got into an argument with Mahir Chowdhury, of Bijoy Group, at a restaurant. Following the incident, two groups locked into a clash around 3pm on the campus, leaving 10 injured.  Proctor Dr Mohammad Nurul Azim Sikder said the clash started from a restaurant. The proctorial body and the police rushed to the spot and stopped the clash immediately.  "So far, there have been no reports of injuries. We will take legal action against those involved," he added.  Dr Abu Tayab, chief officer of the University Medical Center, said 10 people were injured in the clash but they had returned after getting treatment. 

The Russian House in Dhaka recently organised a seminar on study opportunities in Russia for the academic year 2024-2025 The seminar was held at United International University (UIU). Also read: Russian House in Dhaka organises seminar on study opportunities in Russia The programme talked about the possibility of receiving scholarships provided by the government of the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Centre for International Affairs and Cooperation (CIAC) of UIU. The Russian House in Dhaka, Pavel Dvoychenkov, delivered an updated data on the Russian education system, a detailed application process, and the submission of documents online on the following website: "https://education-in-russia.com". Also read: 124 students get Russian govt's higher education scholarships for 2024-25 He said Bangladeshi students can study at any university designated for scholarship in Russia. He talked about the world-class higher education and professional prospects of Russian alumni, who hold various senior positions in various public services, private companies, and higher education institutions in Bangladesh. The director also mentioned taking Russian language courses at the Russian House to facilitate higher education studies in Russia and invited prospective students to participate the next seminar which will be held on October 9 at the Russian House in Dhaka. AKM Muzahidul Islam, a Russian alumni and professor of Computer Science and Engineering and the Director of the CIAC at UIU, recounted his time studying in Russia, spoke about the world-class education system, and encouraged the seminar participants to take up the opportunity to study in Russia. Also read: Open Russian tech universities’ offshore campus in Bangladesh: Palak to ambassador PhD student at the People's Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) and President of the Bangla Press Club, Barek Kaisar, highlighted the Russian education system and the current practical experience of studying in Russia. He suggested taking the opportunity to study at Russian universities with scholarships.

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni on Thursday inaugurated the marketing of new books for classes XI and XII for the academic year 2023-2024. The  programme was inaugurated at the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) auditorium in the capital. At that time, Dipu Moni handed over the textbooks of Bengali literature, Bengali Sohopath, English for today and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) published by NCTB to the students. Read: US visa policy won't affect students going abroad for studies: Dipu Moni Of these books, English for Today and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) were revised and now its quality is better than before, she added. “In 2026-2027, there will be new curriculum books for classes XI and XII. Even before that, we will continue the book refinement work as far as possible,” Dipu Moni informed. Additionally, Dipu Moni stated, "We want our students to be skilled and qualified individuals who are humane, creative, tolerant, and non-communal individuals." The entire educational system is being transformed for this. "Students will learn by doing, engaging in experience learning, and active learning as part of transformation, which goes beyond rote memorization", she said. Read: Bangladesh, China to work together to push relations to a new height, says Dipu Moni Through this, students will be able to soak up what they are learning and acquire the skills to apply it, the minister added.

The National Rounds of the 14th Henry Dunant Memorial Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) have kicked off today at the Independent University in Dhaka, with the participation of 30 teams representing different public and private universities of the country. Organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in partnership with the IUB, the event will run from 5 to 7 October 2023, according to an official press release. Over the course of three days, students will be tested on their knowledge of and ability to apply IHL to a fictitious scenario outside of the real courtroom, giving them a fresh perspective on how this international legal framework can be used to protect people affected by armed conflict, reads the press release. Each team will present their legal arguments before different panels of judges consisting of Justices of the Supreme Court, members of the Subordinate Judiciary, senior government officials, academics, lawyers, and practitioners. The winning team will represent Bangladesh in the Asia-Pacific Rounds to be held in Hong Kong next year. Secretary of Maritime Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md. Khurshed Alam spoke to the attendees at the opening ceremony as the chief guest.  “This event is not just a gathering of talented legal minds; it is a testament to the collective commitment to international law and a platform for fostering future generations of lawyers and policymakers in further research and debate on International Humanitarian Law,” he said. ICRC Dhaka’s Deputy Head of Delegation Heike Kemper said: “The basic spirit of international humanitarian law is a universal humanitarian principle that preserves human dignity even during war. “I am glad to see enthusiastic young students partaking in the competition that serves as one of the excellent forums contributing to the promotion of IHL.” Advisor at IUB’s Department of Law Prof. Dr. Borhan Uddin Khan said: “Through participating in this competition, students get the chance to sharpen their advocacy skills, learn team building, hone group work spirit and create a new network.” The Henry Dunant Memorial Moot Court Competition was initiated in 2005 by the ICRC with the aim of promoting the study of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) amongst university students in the South Asian Region including Bangladesh.

Imran Karim, Vice Chairman of Confidence Group took in charge as the President and Sheikh Shabab Ahmed, Cheif External Affairs Officer of Nagad Ltd. as the General Secretary of the new Executive Committee of St. Joseph Old Boys' Foundation (SJOBF), the alumni association of St. Joseph Higher Secondary School.  The announcement came recently for the year 2023-25 during the 15th Annual General Meeting held at the school premises. Among the other 11 members Mohammed Tariqul Islam, Chief HR and Corporate Communications Officer, Confidence Group, appointed as the Vice President and Barrister Shafayat Ullah, Head of MTB Group Legal Affairs Division, appointed as the Treasurer of the association. The new committee believes to become an integral part in the overall development of the institution and establish their distinctive role as the networking channel for school alumni going forward.