United News of Bangladesh

The University Grants Commission (UGC) will host a three-day regional higher education conference in Dhaka this December, aimed at bringing together UGC representatives from SAARC countries. The decision to host the conference was taken from a meeting chaired by UGC Chairman Professor Dr. S M A Faiz on Monday. The conference, will be held at a city hotel, aims to foster regional collaboration in higher education and research and to explore strategies for advancing the quality of education in universities across the region. Chief Adviser and Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus is expected to attend the event's opening ceremony as the chief guest. A steering committee has already been formed to ensure its successful organisation. UGC chairman expects 7 colleges' issue to be resolved amicably Apart from UGC representatives from SAARC nations, vice-chancellors, academics, and researchers from various universities in Bangladesh are expected to attend the event. The conference will be funded by the ongoing Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project, implemented by the UGC with support from the World Bank. UGC members Prof Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, Prof Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, and Prof Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, among others attended the meeting.

Students of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) on Monday staged demonstration to press home their five-point demand including the cancellation of direct promotion to 9th grade posts and maintaining the current admission system for agricultural universities. They also issued a three-day ultimatum to the authorities to meet their demands. The students made the announcement at a press briefing in the afternoon Earlier in the day, students under the banner of "Krishi Diploma Chhatra Odhikar Andolon" staged a demonstration in front of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) at Khamarbari. However, SAU students later intervened and dispersed them from the spot before presenting their own five-point demand. Speaking at the press briefing, SAU student Sohanur Rahman said, “This morning, diploma and ATI students gathered here demanding a 40% quota in promotions in  government jobs. But if they are granted such a large quota, where do we, the agricultural science students who studied for four years, go? They should compete with us in exams. We are not calling them unqualified. Let them sit for tests and prove their eligibility. We are not here to create chaos.” Polytechnic students call nationwide rail blockade Thursday to press 6-point demands A coordinator of the "Krishibid Oikya Parishad" (Agriculturists' Unity Council) said, “Some of the diploma students' demands are logical and we want the government to accept those. But some of their demands are unreasonable and causing public suffering by blocking roads. If implemented, those demands will pose a serious threat to the country’s agriculture sector.” The five-point demand of the SAU students and the Krishibid Oikya Parishad is as follows: No one should be allowed to study in public agricultural universities without passing the existing admission tests. There should be no scope for promotion to 9th grade posts without passing the recruitment test. Posts under the 10th grade should remain within the current structure and beyond the scope of gazette notifications. Jobs under 10th grade (such as Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer or equivalent) should be open to both BSc and diploma degree holders. The title "Krishibid" (agriculturist) must not be used by anyone other than graduates in agriculture or agriculture-related disciplines. A government gazette should be issued in this regard.Agricultural diploma or technical education must be kept under the jurisdiction of agriculture-related institutions, such as the Department of Agricultural Extension.

Teachers of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) have decided not to return to classes unless their three-point demand including justice over the February 18 attack on students and teachers is fulfilled. The decision came from an emergency meeting of  Kuet Teachers’ Association held on Thursday where members of the association agreed to boycott academic activities until those involved in the assault on the teachers including the Vice-Chancellor are identified and brought to justice. The association rejected the ongoing student protest demanding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor terming the demand “unjustified” and “based on baseless and unrealistic allegations,” said a press release issued by the association on Sunday. The teachers expressed concern over the alleged attempts to destabilise the campus by spreading misinformation. Kuet urges calm, condemns hall break-in amid tensions On February 18, a group of ‘outsiders’ launched an attack on general students on the Kuet campus, injuring several. The attackers also reportedly harassed the VC and other faculty members during the unrest. Teachers have been demanding proper investigation and accountability since the incident. In response to the recent developments, the association has formed a five-member inquiry committee led by Mechanical Engineering department professor Dr Abdullah Al Faruque to investigate the physical assault and cyberbullying against teachers. The committee will submit a detailed report to the university administration for further action. In a statement signed by association president Dr Md Shahidur Rahman and general secretary Dr Md Faruq Hossain, the teachers reaffirmed their unity and warned against any attempts to impose authoritarian control on campus in the guise of student movement. 15 sued over 2017 assaults at Kuet; ex-VC, pro-VC among accused

The 24th Convocation of East West University (EWU) was held on Wednesday at the university’s Aftabnagar Sports Ground in the capital, with a total of 2,885 undergraduate and graduate students receiving their degrees. Education Adviser Professor Dr Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar conferred the degrees on the graduating students. Six students were also awarded gold medals in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements. Addressing the ceremony, Dr Abrar congratulated the new graduates and highlighted the growing opportunities created by advanced technologies. He also cautioned against the rising challenges of intolerance, ultranationalism, and narrow-minded attitudes, urging the younger generation to confront these issues and work towards building a world of justice, peace, and tolerance. Convocation speaker Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex Footwear Limited, emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship in shaping the country’s future over the next 25 to 30 years. He encouraged graduates to prepare for entrepreneurship rather than solely seeking employment, stressing the need to understand various stages of a business venture to avoid potential losses; and referring to China as a role model, he noted that contributing to the national GDP is possible by establishing both large and small enterprises. Special guest Professor Dr S M A Faiz, chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), said the UGC has adopted new approaches to ensure a better educational environment in Bangladesh. He also advised the graduates to prioritize family values alongside their professional responsibilities. EWU Board of Trustees Chairperson and founding Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin called for the formation of a standard Education Commission and the implementation of an innovative and modern education policy. He urged graduates to effectively utilize the country’s resources and opportunities to counter the prevailing notion that Bangladesh is overly dependent on imports. Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Shams Rahman underscored the significance of technological and communication skills, alongside creativity, in transforming the country's population into a productive powerhouse. He encouraged graduates to move beyond traditional boundaries and pursue innovative ideas. The ceremony was attended by National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Vice Chancellors of different universities, cultural personalities, members of the Board of Trustees, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Treasurer, Registrar, Deans, Chairpersons, faculty members, staff, graduates, and their families.

Urging students to keep their trust in the decisions made by the university syndicate, the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) authorities have strongly condemned the recent forceful entry into student dormitories, labeling it a violation of university regulations and the country’s laws. This statement was made in a press release issued by the university on Tuesday night. The media release further said that several misleading and unofficial lists naming alleged students involved in the recent unrest are being circulated across social media platforms. KUET students unlock halls, demand VC’s resignation The university clarified that no formal list of accused students has been published and urged all students to avoid being influenced by such unverified sources of information. The unrest stems from violent clashes that erupted on February 18 between members of the BNP’s student wing, Chhatra Dal and general students amid growing demands to ban student politics on campus. In response to the escalating tensions, the Kuet syndicate convened its 99th meeting on February 25, deciding to close all residential halls indefinitely and directing students to vacate their halls by 10 am the following day. On Monday night, the university syndicate announced the suspension of 37 students identified as being involved in the February clashes. According to Kuet authorities, the university’s student disciplinary committee will now carefully examine the investigation report, as per syndicate directives, and finalise the disciplinary actions accordingly. Kuet suspends 37 students over February clash On Tuesday afternoon, a day after the suspensions were declared, students broke into several locked residential halls, demanding the resignation of Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Mahmud.

At first, the bar association for immigration attorneys began receiving inquiries from a couple students a day. These were foreigners studying in the U.S., and they'd discovered in early April their legal status had been terminated with little notice. To their knowledge, none of the students had committed a deportable offense. In recent days, the calls have begun flooding in. Hundreds of students have been calling to say they have lost legal status, seeking advice on what to do next. “We thought it was going to be something that was unusual,” said Matthew Maiona, a Boston-based immigration attorney who is getting about six calls a day from panicked international students. “But it seems now like it’s coming pretty fast and furious.” The speed and scope of the federal government's efforts to terminate the legal status of international students have stunned colleges across the country. Few corners of higher education have been untouched, as schools ranging from prestigious private universities, large public research institutions and tiny liberal arts colleges discover status terminations one after another among their students. At least 790 students at more than 120 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated in recent weeks, according to an Associated Press review of university statements and correspondence with school officials. Advocacy groups collecting reports from colleges say hundreds more students could be caught up in the crackdown. Students apparently targeted over minor infractions British Council launches research on Transnational Education in Bangladesh Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year — a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid, and their ability to pay tuition often factors into whether they will be admitted to American schools. Often, they pay full price. Many of the students losing their legal status are from India and China, which together account for more than half the international students at American colleges. But the terminations have not been limited to those from any one part of the world, lawyers said. Four students from two Michigan universities are suing Trump administration officials after their F-1 student status was terminated last week. Their attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, Ramis Wadood, said the students never received a clear reason why. “We don’t know, and that’s the scary part,” he said. The students were informed of the status terminations by their universities via email, which came as a shock, Wadood said. The reason given was that there was a “criminal records check and/or that their visa was revoked,” Wadood said, but none of them were charged or convicted of crimes. Some had either speeding or parking tickets, but one didn’t have any, he said. Only one of the students had known their entry visa was revoked, Wadood said. Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department was revoking visas held by visitors who were acting counter to national interests, including some who protested Israel's war in Gaza and those who face criminal charges. But many students say they don't fall under those categories. Students have filed lawsuits in several states, arguing they were denied due process. In New Hampshire, a federal judge last week granted a temporary restraining order to restore the status of a Ph.D. student at Dartmouth College, Xiaotian Liu. On Tuesday, a federal judge in Wisconsin issued a similar order, ruling the government could not take steps to detain or revoke the visa of a University of Wisconsin-Madison gradate student. In a break from past, feds cancel students' status directly At many colleges, officials learned the legal immigration status of some international students had been terminated when staff checked a database managed by the Department of Homeland Security. In the past, college officials say, legal statuses typically were updated after colleges told the government the students were no longer studying at the school. The system to track enrollment and movements of international students came under the control of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after 9/11, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association of international educators. She said recent developments have left students fearful of how quickly they can be on the wrong side of enforcement. “You don’t need more than a small number to create fear,” Aw said. “There’s no clarity of what are the reasons and how far the reach of this is.” Her group says as many as 1,300 students have lost visas or had their status terminated, based on reports from colleges. Student Visa to PR: Top 5 Countries for International Students to Get Permanent Residency The Department of Homeland Security and State Department did not respond to messages seeking comment. Foreigners who are subject to removal proceedings are usually sent a notice to appear in immigration court on a certain date, but lawyers say affected students have not received any notices, leaving them unsure of next steps to take. Some schools have told students to leave the country to avoid the risk of being detained or deported. But some students have appealed the terminations and stayed in the United States while those are processed. Still others caught in legal limbo aren't students at all. They had remained in the U.S. post-graduation on “optional practical training,” a one-year period — or up to three for science and technology graduates — that allows employment in the U.S. after completing an academic degree. During that time, a graduate works in their field and waits to receive their H-1B or other employment visas if they wish to keep working in the U.S. Around 242,000 foreigners in the U.S. are employed through this “optional practical training.” About 500,000 are pursuing graduate degrees, and another 342,000 are undergraduate students. Among the students who have filed lawsuits is a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student who is supposed to graduate on May 5, with a job offer to join the faculty. His attorney Charles Kuck said the student was likely targeted for termination because of an unpaid traffic fine from when the student lent his car to a friend. Ultimately, the violation was dismissed. “We have case after case after case exactly like that, where there is no underlying crime,” said Kuck, who is representing 17 students in the federal lawsuit. He said his law firm has heard from hundreds of students. “These are kids who now, under the Trump administration, realize their position is fragile,” he said. “They’ve preyed on a very vulnerable population. These kids aren’t hiding. They’re in school.” Some international students have been adapting their daily routines. A Ph.D. student from China at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said she has begun carrying around her passport and immigration paperwork at the advice of the university’s international student office. The student, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by authorities, said she has been distressed to see the terminations even for students like her without criminal records. “That is the most scary part because you don’t know whether you’re going to be the next person,” she said. 

The cluster admission test for the 2024–2025 academic year’s first-year undergraduate program in agricultural sciences was successfully held across the country.  The results of the admission test are expected to be published on April 15, confirmed Mohammad Toufiqul Islam, Director of the Public Relations and Publications of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), to UNB on Saturday. This year’s examination was conducted simultaneously at nine main centres and 13 sub-centres, totaling 22 centres across the country. BAU led the organization of the examination. Professor Dr. A K Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, Vice-Chancellor of BAU and Chairman of the Central Admission Committee, stated that all necessary preparations had been taken across the nine universities, ensuring the test was conducted in a fair and peaceful environment. Notably, female candidates outnumbered male candidates among the examinees this year. He expressed his gratitude to all those involved in the successful execution of the admission test. According to the latest data received by UNB, the attendance rate at the BAU centre was 90.89 percent. Across the 22 venues, a total of 12,665 seats were arranged in 246 rooms. Of these, 11,511 candidates were present, while 1,154 were absent. Other attendance statistics include: ·  University of Dhaka – 84.59% ·  Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University – 87.34% ·  Sylhet Agricultural University – 66.45% ·  Khulna Agricultural University – 93.45% ·  Patuakhali Science and Technology University – 66% ·  Habiganj Agricultural University – 85.60% ·  Kurigram Agricultural University – 95.65% It is noteworthy that approximately 25 candidates competed for each of the 3,863 available seats in this year's cluster admission test.

International Hope School Bangladesh (IHSB) is making its fourth appearance at the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC), representing Bangladesh on a global stage once again. This year, IHSB is the only high school team from Bangladesh selected to participate in both categories of the competition—the human-powered challenge and the remote-controlled challenge. SSC, equivalent exams begin across country Hosted annually by NASA, the HERC is a renowned event that engages students from around the world in hands-on engineering challenges inspired by real-world problems in space exploration. The 2024 edition kicked off on April 10 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, USA. As a returning participant, IHSB is showcasing its continued dedication to STEM innovation. With an expanded team and enhanced vision, the 26-member group has been working tirelessly on research, design, and testing to prepare for this year's challenge. The team is being mentored by advisors Abul Kalam Azad and Moonzoor Morshed, with technical guidance from Shahidul Hassan Monti and Iftekhar Hossain. Student team leads Shajadi Ayman Sultana and Mahjabin Alam Roshni are leading the charge in this ambitious endeavour. Accompanying the team are Kamrul Ahsan, head of the senior section at IHSB’s Uttara branch; Rockibul Karim, deputy head of the Gulshan branch; and teachers Adnan Shihab Ahmed and Saima Samad. School chairman Timothy Donald Fisher encouraged the team with a heartfelt message: "You are not only representing the school but your country. Carry the green and red with honour and make Bangladesh proud." "We are extremely grateful for our technical advisor teachers. Their guidance, resilience, and patience helped us turn our rovers into reality,’ said the student team. SSC, equivalent exam begins Thursday "From research papers, presentations, to engineering – our team is dedicated to shining in all sectors of the challenge. This esteemed competition plays an integral role in providing young enthusiasts with an amazing opportunity, especially those with a keen interest in STEM and robotics,” the team also said. "Every member of the team brings passion and expertise to the table, and together, we’re building a project that is not just about competition; it is about creating a real-world impact, it added. NASA’s HERC continues to be a vital platform for encouraging student innovation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The event brings together student teams from around the globe to develop creative solutions to the challenges of space exploration.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations for 2025 began simultaneously across the country on Thursday morning. This year, a total of 1,490,142 candidates, including 701,538 males and 788,604 females, were supposed to sit for the examinations under nine general education boards in 2,291 centres across 18,084 institutions nationwide. Under the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board, 294,726 students were expected to take part in the exams, including 150,893 males and 143,833 females. Besides, 143,313 students under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board have registered for the examinations, comprising 108,385 male and 34,928 female candidates. SSC, equivalent exam begins Thursday According to the schedule, the written exams will conclude on May 13, while practical exams will be held from May 15 to May 22. On Wednesday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed restrictions on the access of unauthorised individuals within 200 yards of exam centres.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations for 2025 will begin across the country on Thursday. This year, a total of 1,490,142 candidates are expected to sit for the examinations under nine general education boards in 2,291 centres in 18,084 institutions of the country. Of them, there are 701,538 male and 788,604 female students. Under Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board, a total of 294,726 students are also expected to take the exams with 150,893 male and 143,833 female students being registered. SSC exams to begin in Khulna on Thursday Besides, 143,313 students under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board are registered to sit for the exam. The students include 108,385 male and 34,928 female candidates. The exam routines are scheduled to be ended on May 13. The practical exams will be held from May 15 to May 22.