United News of Bangladesh

The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) has been accused of constructing a permanent memorial titled ‘July Nirbhik’ (Fearless July) on the Dhaka University campus without obtaining written approval from the university authorities. Officials of the university administration said DUCSU did not seek or obtain any written permission before constructing the structure while, while DUCSU are saying that the decision was taken at a meeting in the presence of the previous VC, Prof. Niaz Ahmed Khan. According to university rules, permission from the administration is required for constructing any permanent structure on campus. The matter is then placed before the university’s Site Selection Committee, which examines the proposal and submits a report before any further decision is taken. However, no such written approval was obtained by DUCSU for the construction of the ‘July Nirbhik’ memorial, university officials said. The memorial, located beside the DUCSU building and Madhur Canteen, was inaugurated by DUCSU Vice-President Sadik Kayem on September 2 in the presence of families of several victims of the July Uprising. Its foundation stone had earlier been laid on August 5 in the presence of family members of 50 martyrs and injured participants of the movement. VC: DUCSU did not obtain approval Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor A B M Obaidul Islam said DUCSU did not obtain approval from the university administration before constructing the memorial. He said the university has a specific procedure for constructing any structure inside the campus. “According to the university’s rules, anyone seeking to construct a structure inside the campus must first apply to the university administration. Then a meeting of the Site Selection Committee is held, and subsequent decisions are taken based on the committee’s report,” the Vice-Chancellor said. “But DUCSU did not obtain any approval for constructing this structure. On August 5, when we inaugurated our July Memorial, we held an emergency meeting of the Site Selection Committee,” he added. “Besides, I instructed the proctor to take necessary measures in this regard. The matter will be addressed in consultation with the proctor,” he said. DUCSU's explanation DUCSU, however, rejected the allegation that it had proceeded without the university authorities’ consent. DUCSU General Secretary S M Farhad said the decision to construct the memorial had been taken at an EC meeting of DUCSU in the presence of the the previous VC, Prof. Niaz Ahmed Khan, who was in the post from August 2024 to February 2026. “The issue of permission applies to student organizations or third parties who are not primary stakeholders or decision-makers of the university. When they undertake something, the question of permission arises as a matter of procedure,” Farhad said. He argued that the Vice-Chancellor is the university’s highest decision-making authority and also serves as the president of DUCSU. “The Vice-Chancellor is the head of the university’s decision-making process and is also the president of DUCSU. When the Vice-Chancellor is present, constitutionally serves as its head, and is informed about all the decisions, it is difficult to understand whether there is any authority above the Vice-Chancellor whose permission would still be required after his knowledge and consent,” he said. Farhad said the then Vice-Chancellor had been present throughout the decision-making process, from the initial planning to the adoption of the plan. He also said the project was later placed on the agenda of a DUCSU Executive Committee meeting during its implementation. “Even then, the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. ABM Obaidul Islam, did not express any negative concern regarding the discussion, review or decision. Not raising any objection means that he agreed with the decision-making process and the earlier steps,” Farhad said. “Therefore, if someone expresses a different opinion after the project has been implemented, that would not be the proper process. Rather, the Vice-Chancellor’s decision, consent to the implementation and cooperation should be considered the university’s final decision,” he added. University’s separate July Memorial initiative Meanwhile, the Dhaka University administration has separately undertaken an initiative to construct a ‘July Smriti Stambha’ (July Memorial) on campus to commemorate those who were killed during the July mass uprising. A committee was formed in July to oversee the project, and the foundation stone of the proposed memorial was laid at Mal Chattar on August 5. The DUCSU-initiated ‘July Nirbhik’ memorial is a separate structure from the university administration’s proposed memorial.  

A student of Dhaka University, who alleged that he was subjected to intimidation and harassment by the provost of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall, has been staging a sit-in for the past three days in front of the vice-chancellor’s office, demanding the provost’s resignation and immediate disclosure of an investigation report into the incident. The victim, Md Ibrahim, a student of the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering from the 2020-21 academic session, had made a Facebook post criticizing Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall Provost and Professor of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology Dr Md Elias Al-Mamun, highlighting various problems at the hall. According to Ibrahim, the provost summoned him to his office on August 16 over the post, where he was allegedly subjected to mental harassment, intimidation and threats of being sued under a cybercrime case for around one and a half hours in a closed room. Ibrahim also alleged that the provost and hall staff forcibly checked his mobile phone and made him sign a document against his will. Following the incident, students of the hall launched protests demanding the provost’s resignation and locked the hall office indefinitely. The university authorities subsequently formed an investigation committee, headed by University Proctor Md Israfil PK (Israfil Ratan), to look into the allegations. “I have been staging a sit-in for the last three days, but no responsible official has come here yet. The university administration is sheltering the provost,” Ibrahim said. “Although an investigation committee has been formed, they are trying to divert the issue by delaying the investigation. They were supposed to submit the report much earlier, but they have repeatedly delayed it, pushing the deadline from one day to the next,” he added. Ibrahim said he would continue the sit-in until justice was served. Asked about the investigation report, committee convener Israfil Ratan gave a noncommittal response, saying, “It could be released at any time. It could be disclosed today. It could be disclosed tomorrow.”

The orientation program for the 44th batch of the Executive Master of Business Administration (Executive MBA) program at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka, was held on Saturday. The program began at 5pm at the IBA. Professor Dr. Abu Yousuf Mohammed Abdullah, Director of IBA, presided over the event while Professor Dr. Md. Iftekharul Amin, Coordinator of the Executive MBA program, delivered the welcome address. A total of 389 candidates applied for admission to the 44th batch of the Executive MBA program. Following the completion of the prescribed admission process, including a written examination and viva voce, 39 students were finally selected for admission to the program. At the beginning of the program, the students of the 44th batch introduced themselves. A student from the 43rd batch of the Executive MBA program then shared their experience with the new students. Later, Professor Dr. Md. Mohiuddin, Coordinator of IBA’s Research Program, briefed the students on the rules, regulations and academic requirements of the Executive MBA program. Professor Abu Yusuf Md. Abdullah subsequently addressed the students. Regular classes began at 6:45pm following the conclusion of the orientation program.

Jahangirnagar University (JU) student and senior vice president of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti Ahsan Labib has been named acting president of the organisation, following the sudden resignation of its central president Zahid Ahsan. Zahid resigned citing personal reasons, said a statement signed by the organisation’s Office Secretary Mahfuzur Rahman on Wednesday night.  According to the statement, Zahid announced his resignation at the organisation’s fifth general meeting. Later, the members present at the meeting unanimously decided to assign the acting presidency to Labib, the organisation’s senior vice president. Speaking after taking charge, Labib said he received the responsibility to ensure continuity in the organisation’s activities following Zahid’s resignation. “We will announce a new full-fledged committee through a council following a democratic process very soon,” he added. Labib is a student of the Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering at JU. He previously served as a coordinator of the JU unit of the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement. He also serves as the Social Welfare Secretary of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and an elected student representative to the JU Senate.

Renovation work on the playground adjacent to Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall at Jahangirnagar University (JU) resumed on Friday despite an administrative order to suspend the work pending an investigation into alleged irregularities. University security officials faced resistance from some students when they went to the site to stop the work. Later, an assistant proctor also visited the spot but failed to halt the renovation. The contractor resumed the work on Friday. After receiving information, university security officials went to the playground and tried to stop the work, but some students present there prevented them from doing so. An argument also broke out between the security officials and the students during the incident.

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the country’s premier engineering university, will face five hours of scheduled load shedding every day amid the ongoing energy crisis. According to a notice issued by the BUET Chief Engineer’s Office, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) has informed the university of the load-shedding schedule due to a shortage of electricity supply. The notice lists five separate one-hour power cuts, from 6:00–7:00am, 10:00–11:00am, 2:00–3:00pm, 12:00–1:00am and 3:00–4:00am. The university authorities said that due to extremely low gas pressure during the daytime, it may not always be possible to ensure electricity supply through BUET’s own generators during the load-shedding periods. They sought cooperation from all concerned in dealing with the situation. Bangladesh continues to grapple with an energy crisis that has affected electricity generation and resulted in increased load shedding across the country.

Dhaka University's female students, who now comprise a majority of the student body, have once again demanded the complete abolition of the ‘evening curfew’ imposed in their residential halls, rejecting a proposal to relax the restriction by an hour. At a press conference in front of Rokeya Hall on Thursday afternoon, students under the banner of ‘Oborodhbasini’ said ensuring the safety of female students is the responsibility of the university administration, but doing so by restricting their movement in the name of security is not a solution. 'Evening curfew' at DU women's halls: Provost Standing Committee recommends 1-hour extension The students have been protesting for the past several days under the banner of ‘Oborodhbasini’, demanding the withdrawal of the ‘evening curfew’ in female halls and unrestricted access to the halls 24 hours a day. They have been carrying out a continuous movement with three demands since July 30. As part of the campaign, they have distributed leaflets, put up posters, held processions and organised signature campaigns among female students. Their demands include the immediate abolition of the existing “discriminatory evening curfew” from 10pm to 6am in female residential halls and ensuring the overall security of female students while allowing them to move freely 24 hours a day; allowing female students to enter any female residential hall by showing a valid identity card and stay there overnight with proper permission; and ensuring female students have the right to allow their female relatives to enter the halls. At the press conference, Shamsun Nahar Hall student Ishrat Jahan Imu said more than 1,200 female students submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor on August 9 with their signatures. On August 10, they also issued a specific ultimatum to the administration through a solidarity rally demanding the abolition of the evening curfew. However, she said, the administration ignored all their demands and instead proposed relaxing the curfew by only one hour. According to the students, such a proposal undermines the civil and fundamental rights of female students, and there is no scope for compromise with the administration on the issue. Earlier, a meeting of the Provost Standing Committee proposed extending the entry time for female students by one hour on Wednesday. The proposal is still slated to be placed before the university’s Syndicate meeting. According to the students, if a female student needs to go out at night or return late to the hall for an emergency or academic research, she is required to submit a written undertaking to the administration. The undertaking states ominously that the university or hall administration will not be responsible for the student’s safety. They described the absence of such conditions for male students at the same university as “extreme discrimination.” The students said their programmes would continue until the discriminatory evening curfew is completely abolished and female students are guaranteed unrestricted movement and security at every part of the campus 24 hours a day. They said various hall-based programmes, including sit-ins and street meetings, would be organised as part of the movement. Under the existing rules, female students at the University of Dhaka are not allowed to enter or leave their residential halls between 10pm and 6am. If they need to go out or return late, they are required to obtain prior permission through a late pass from the house tutors, which is not always possible. In emergencies, the hall authorities contact the students’ local guardians before allowing them to leave.

Dhaka University has formed a three-member committee to investigate the activities of certain teachers allegedly involved in ‘anti-state covert activities’, determine the appropriate course of action, and make necessary recommendations. Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) has been appointed convener of the committee, while Dean of the Faculty of Science and the Dean of the Faculty of Law as members, according to a press release issued today. Two DU male students expelled from hall over alleged ‘homosexuality’ The committee will examine all relevant aspects concerning the teachers in question, determine the appropriate course of action, and submit recommendations. The committee has already begun its work. The press release mentioned, “It may be noted that the Dhaka University authorities recently came across a report published by various media outlets concerning the alleged covert activities of 404 teachers from 22 universities across the country, reportedly aimed at bringing fugitive convict Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death, back to Bangladesh and reactivating a political party whose activities have been banned.” The report stated that 92 Dhaka University teachers were involved in such covert activities. So far, the identities of 58 of those teachers have been identified. If the names of any additional teachers are identified, the committee will also investigate their cases and make necessary recommendations.

Two male students of Dhaka University’s Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall have been expelled from the hall and their residential seats permanently cancelled over the allegation of engaging in ‘homosexuality’. A notice issued by the hall authorities today, signed by the provost, said that a three-member investigation committee had been formed following a complaint against the students on August 2, 2026. The committee reportedly found their involvement in the incident, which the authorities said was contrary to the discipline of the university and the hall. “Based on the recommendation of the committee, your residential seat has been cancelled and you have been permanently expelled from the hall,” the notice said. The two students are first-year students of the 2025–26 academic session. They were residents of Room 119 in the old building of Mujib Hall. A video that went viral on social media reportedly showed the two in an intimate situation. Attempts to contact the accused students, however, were unsuccessful. The hall union’s vice-president Muslimur Rahman said strict administrative action had been taken after evidence was found supporting allegations of “serious social indiscipline (homosexuality)” against the two residential students. He said the students had been permanently expelled from the hall and were immediately removed from the premises in the presence of their local guardians. Further disciplinary action against them through the university administration is also being pursued, he added. Earlier, on July 30, a student of Surja Sen Hall was detained over an allegation of involvement in “homosexuality” and was later permanently expelled from the hall. In another recent incident, similar allegations were raised against two guests staying in the room of the hall union’s Assistant General Secretary (AGS) of Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah Hall. Following the incident, the AGS’s residential seat was temporarily cancelled.

The current term of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) 2025 will expire on September 12. The Dhaka University unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir has demanded the prompt publication of a clear roadmap for the next DUCSU election. The organization also called for the announcement of an election schedule and for a free, fair, impartial and participatory election to be held within the stipulated timeframe. DUCSU holds protest march against decision to defang NTRCA in teachers' recruitment Leaders of Chhatra Shibir made the demands during a meeting with Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. ABM Obaidul Islam on Wednesday (August 12). Later, Dhaka University unit Chhatra Shibir President Muhammad Muhiu­ddin and Organizing Secretary Sazzad Hossain Khan spoke to journalists. Muhiu­ddin said the DUCSU election is a regular and institutional process. However, with the current term of DUCSU nearing its end, the university administration has yet to make any decision on when and how the next election will be held. He said the university treasurer had informed them that no decision had yet been made regarding the next DUCSU election. As a result, the process of sending a letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC) regarding the election and allocating the necessary budget had also not progressed. He further alleged that there had been a tendency to suspend DUCSU elections under various political governments in the past. According to him, elections were kept suspended due to political concerns that DUCSU, as an important platform for students to express their views, could exert pressure on those in power. Muhiu­ddin said the meeting also discussed the need for justice over the attack at Shahbagh Police Station and attacks on students, elected student representatives and journalists at various locations on the Dhaka University campus. He alleged that despite sufficient video footage and other evidence of the incidents, the university administration was delaying the process in the name of investigations. He claimed that even after several months, no effective action had been taken over the attacks. Muhiu­ddin said the university administration had informed them that the investigation report would be made public by Sunday or Monday. He warned that if the report was not published within the stipulated timeframe, they would take necessary strong measures to ensure its publication. Meanwhile, Chhatra Shibir Organizing Secretary Sazzad Hossain accused the university administration of “delaying and making excuses” over the DUCSU election. He said DUCSU is an important right of the university’s students and that this right had been obstructed at various times due to political influence from the ruling party. He further alleged that while the administration takes swift decisions on various issues under pressure from the ruling political party, it has been reluctant to investigate or take action over attacks on elected student representatives and students. They also demanded that the university administration provide the necessary support and ensure an appropriate institutional environment for elected DUCSU representatives to carry out their activities. Regarding the next DUCSU election, Vice-Chancellor Professor Obaidul Islam said the administration would soon call the necessary meetings to follow the established process for holding the election. “We have a process that we have to follow to hold the DUCSU election. I will soon call all the necessary meetings and proceed according to that process,” he said. He added, “Even if they had not come, I had already thought about this. Two days ago, I myself planned to set a date for a meeting. Since I am busy this week, I will call the meeting next week and initiate the process.”