Gopalganj, Apr 19 (UNB) – The chairman of the Computer Science and Engineering department at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU) has been relieved of his duty as the chairman over sexually harassing a female student.

Assistant Professor Md Akkas Ali will have to refrain from all the academic activities for eight semesters till 2022.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the university syndicate on Thursday night following the report of a probe panel formed to look into the allegation of the sexual harassment.

BSMRSTU Registrar Prof Dr Nuruddin Ahmed issued a notice in this regard on Friday morning.

In January, a female student of the CSE department filed a complaint with the university authorities against Akkas Ali accusing him of harassing her sexually. 

Later, university students went on a movement to realise their five-point demand, including dismissal of Akkas Ali.

The university authorities had formed a probe committee which submitted their findings recently. 

Dhaka, Apr 19 (UNB) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) will take an initiative to move a resolution on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the United Nations (UN) as part of his birth centenary celebrations.

The ministry will also take an initiative to spread Bangladesh’s foreign policy - friendship to all, malice towards none – articulated by Bangabandhu across the world.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen shared the ideas during the first meeting of the sub-committee on international programme and communication under the national committee on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary celebrations held on Thursday, said the MoFA on Friday.

Dr Momen, also the sub-committee convener, said a ‘Bangabandhu Institute’ should be established to uphold the history and works of the Father of the Nation properly at home and abroad.

Former Foreign Minister AH Hahmood Ali, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Foreign Ministry Faruk Khan, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, former chief information commissioner Mohammad Zamir, former principal secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, former foreign secretary Mohiuddin Ahmed, Hasem Khan, Liberation War Museum Trustee Mofidul Hoque, singer Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, FBCCI President M Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) and journalist Abed Khan, among others, attended the meeting chaired by Dr Momen.

The sub-committee members suggested introducing an international award in the name of Bangabandhu and setting up ‘Bangabandhu Chair’ in different countries.

Dhaka, Apr 19 (UNB) - Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Friday said the madrasa girl Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder case law enforcers have already come to know about the motive behind the murder and who were involved in the incident.

“The Nusrat murder case is almost cracked as police have already got details, including the motive behind the killing and those were involved in the incident. Police will soon disclose the details,” he said.

The minister was talking to reporters after attending a programme marking the handover of five vehicles for police by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in the city’s Uttara area in the evening.

He said all of those who were included in the First Information Report (FIR) of the case and others whose names were revealed by the accused during their confessional statements before the court under Section 164 of the penal code have already been arrested.

Replying to a query, Asaduzzaman assured that if negligence of any policeman is found over the incident, he will be brought to justice.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa in Sonagazi upazila of Feni, was set ablaze on April 6 allegedly for refusing to withdraw a case filed against principal Sirajuddoula of the madrasa for sexually harassing her last month.

After fighting for her life for five days, the madrasa girl died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on April 10.

Dhaka, Apr 19 (UNB) - Jatiya Oikyafront convener and Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain turns 82 on Saturday.

Kamal, also a close associate of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was born in Kolkata of West Bengal on April 20, 1937.

Gano Forum will celebrate the birthday of the party chief with different programmes, said its organising secretary Mostak Ahmed.

He said they will cut a cake on Saturday morning followed by some cultural programmes at their Arambagh central office on the occasion.

Mostak said Dr Kamal will also exchange greetings with the party leaders and activists at the programme.

A globally renowned jurist, Dr Kamal Hossain got his Bachelor of Jurisprudence degree with honors from the University of Oxford in 1957 and a Bachelor of Civil Law from the same institution in 1958. In 1964, he was awarded a Doctorate degree in International Law. 

During the Bangladesh Liberation War, he was detained by the then Pakistani government and kept in custody in West Pakistan. He was later freed together with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

After the country’s independence, Dr Kamal served the government of Bangladesh under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first as the law minister, then as the foreign and later as energy minister. He was also the chairman of the drafting committee in the Constituent Assembly, and led the process which produced the 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh.

Dr Kamal formed Gono Forum in 1992 leaving Awami League. 

Before the 11th parliamentary elections, Gono Forum and some other parties formed a new alliance, Jatiya Oikyafront, with BNP on October 13, 2018 under Kamal Hossain’s leadership, but it got only eight seats in the polls.

Dhaka, Apr 19 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked for sending all the documents of Subir Nandi’s treatment to Singapore to take opinions of physicians there and take steps accordingly.

The Prime Minister gave the directive when singers Kumar Biswajit, Tapan Chowdhury and Rafiqul Alam, and Dr Samanta Lal Sen met her at her official residence Ganobhaban to inform her of the present condition of Subir Nandi who is now on life support at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

She told them that she extended all-out assistance to the Ekushey Padak-winning singer twice earlier when was sick in 1998.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said Sheikh Hasina is inquiring about Subir Nandi’s treatment round the clock.

On Thursday morning, PM's Special Assistant Barrister Biplob Barua went to the CMH and talked to the wife and daughter of Subir Nandi on behalf of the Prime Minister, he said.

Subir Nandi was taken to the CMH on Sunday night after he fell sick while returning to Dhaka from Srimangal by a train. He vomited several times and complained of severe pain in the throat during the journey.

The singer suffered a cardiac arrest soon after he was taken to the CMH emergency department. Following frantic efforts for 2-4 minutes, his heart started to work again and he was put on life support and shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU).