Education
UGC Directs NU to Halt Undergraduate Admissions at Main Campus for 2023–24 Academic Year
In a recent development, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a directive instructing the National University (NU) authorities to abstain from admitting students at the undergraduate (honours) level for the upcoming academic year (2023–24) at its main campus.
A press release, endorsed by Dr Shamsul Arefin, Director of Public Relations and Information Rights Division, was disseminated on Sunday, highlighting this directive. As per the release, the UGC emphasized that this directive will remain in effect until further instructions are received from President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who also serves as the Chancellor.
The UGC had communicated with President Shahabuddin on January 25, expressing concerns about the decision to admit students to the National University main campus. The release specified that all admission activities outlined in the NU’s admission circular should be halted until the Chancellor issues additional directives.
The directive from the UGC underscored that the ongoing process of admitting students to undergraduate programs at the university’s main campus constitutes a clear violation of the National University Act. The Commission stressed that allowing admissions would disrupt the legal purpose of establishing the National University, leading to potential legal complications for students and causing distress for both students and parents.
Consequently, the UGC sought the President’s guidance to take necessary measures to prevent the admission of students into undergraduate programs at the main campus of the National University.
It is noteworthy that last year, the National University main campus had issued a notification inviting applications from interested students for enrollment in undergraduate (honours) programs in departments such as LLB, BBA, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Nutrition and Food Science. During that period, the UGC had sent multiple letters instructing the suspension of student admissions at the main campus, indicating a recurrent concern in this regard.
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.
