Education
PM Sheikh Hasina to inaugurate Amar Ekushey Book Fair tomorrow
The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2024 is poised to commence tomorrow at the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina scheduled to inaugurate the country’s largest book fair.
Bangla Academy Director General poet Mohammad Nurul Huda confirmed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the fair at 3 pm. The premier will also present the Bangla Academy Literary Award-2023 to the winners and unveil book covers, including ‘Collected Works of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Volume-2,’ published by Bangla Academy.
Organized by the Bangla Academy, this year’s book fair is themed “Paro Boi, Garo Desh: Bangabandhur Bangladesh” (Read Book, build country: Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh). A total of 937 stalls have been allocated to 635 organizations, with 173 stalls at Bangla Academy ground and 764 stalls at Suhrawardy Udyan. Additionally, 37 pavilions have been designated this year.
The fair’s entire organization is managed by Bangla Academy alone to avoid criticism, according to Dr. KM Muzahidul Islam, Member Secretary of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair Committee. Cultural programs, seminars, and activities for children and teenagers, including drawing, music, and recitation competitions, are planned.
Stall allotment for publications was carried out through a digitalized lottery system on January 23. The fair will be open from 3 pm to 9 pm on working days and 11:00 am to 9 pm on public holidays, with a one-hour break for lunch and prayers.
The Bangla Academy Literary Award-2023 will be presented in 11 categories for notable contributions to Bangla literature. DMP has taken measures to ensure security, deploying police personnel, setting up watchtowers, and employing CCTV cameras and drone surveillance for monitoring the fairground and surrounding areas.
Dhaka University authorities have suspended eight students for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing of Tofazzal Hossain, who was lynched two days ago at a university dormitory. The announcement was made public today, September 21, through a press release.
Among the suspended students are three former leaders of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). These include Jalal Ahmed, former deputy secretary of science and technology affairs; Ahsan Ullah, former secretary of mass communication and development affairs; and Al Hossain Sajjad, BCL’s office secretary and a student of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
The other suspended students are Mohammad Sumon from the Department of Soil, Water, and Environment; Muttakin Sakin from the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science; Md Firoz Kabir from the Department of Botany; and Md Abdus Samad and Wazibul Alam from the Department of Physics.
Authorities revealed that six of the eight accused — Jalal Mia, Mohammad Suman, Ahsan Ullah, Muttakin Sakin, Al Hossain Sajjad, and Wazibul Alam — have already been apprehended by law enforcement.
In addition, the university administration announced the removal of the provost of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall, with a new provost appointed to take over the position.
Jahangirnagar University (JU) has appointed two new pro vice-chancellors and a treasurer, as announced today (September 18) by the Ministry of Education. The appointments, made on the order of the President, will last for the next four years.
The information was confirmed through three separate notifications, signed by Shahinur Islam, deputy secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Department under the Ministry of Education.
According to the announcements, Professor Sohel Ahmed from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Professor M Mahfuzur Rahman from the Department of Botany have been appointed as pro vice-chancellors. Professor Md Abdur Rab from the Department of Mathematics has been appointed as the university’s treasurer.
Despite their four-year tenure, the notifications specify that the President, in his capacity as Chancellor, retains the authority to cancel these appointments at any time. Additionally, their salaries will remain the same as their current pay structure.
The role of the pro vice-chancellors includes performing duties assigned by the vice-chancellor, and they are also required to reside on campus.
These new appointments follow aVice-Chancellor recent leadership change at the university. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, the vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University resigned on August 7, followed by the resignation of the pro vice-chancellors on August 13 and 19.
Md Ziaul Haque Bhuiyan, a prominent businessman and young professional, has been elected as the new President of the IUT Alumni Association (IUTAA). His election to this leadership position follows his term as Vice President of the organization from 2022 to 2024.
Bhuiyan’s professional journey began after earning his engineering degree in electrical engineering from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT). Throughout his academic and professional career, he has been actively involved in various social initiatives. He has held senior roles in several renowned multinational corporations and local business groups, including Grameenphone, Huawei, and Onno Rokom Group.
Currently, he serves as the Chief of Staff at ShopUp, Bangladesh’s largest startup, and is the co-founder of an AI-focused startup, Oleyn.ai. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Bhuiyan leads multiple businesses and social organizations, with a strong emphasis on youth development.
He also previously served as President of Junior Chamber International Bangladesh (JCI), a well-known global organization. Furthermore, Bhuiyan holds the position of Director at Chandpur Model Hospital in Haziganj, Chandpur, actively contributing to the healthcare sector.
