Education
BD PhD Student wins Int. Thesis Competition
Atia Binte Amin from Mymensingh, Bangladesh, has recently been crowned as the winner of the 3MT (Three Minutes Thesis) Competition held in California, USA.
Although originally from Bangladesh, Atia participated in the competition on behalf of Canada, where she is currently a Ph.D. student in human genetics at McGill University in Montreal. The university has appreciated Atia in the online edition of their newsletter as she is the first person from McGill University to win the competition.
In the 3MT competition, participants present their research topics within three minutes in a comprehensible way to the average person. Atia’s topic was black fever. Atia has also become the first Bangladeshi to win this prestigious award.
Atia, for the competition, won the inter-university, regional, and national levels in Canada and subsequently became eligible for the international level. Atia has won a prize worth USD 2,000, equivalent to about Tk 2 lakh.
“This year, the competition was tough. It was a lot of pressure for me. However, I received the highest number of votes from the audience in the competition,” said Atia.
Atia spent her childhood in Mymensingh, where she was a student at the Mymensingh Agricultural University high school and college. She later got into the Department of Microbiology at the University of Dhaka. She later moved to the United States to get her Master’s degree on scholarship.
Atia started her Ph.D. at McGill University in 2019. She is also a recipient of the ‘Vanier Scholarship,’ which was bestowed on her due to her achievements in education, research, and cultural activities. She is one of the 50 people to receive the scholarship this year, the first female student from Bangladesh, and the second Bangladeshi overall to receive the scholarship.
Atia aced the final round of the 3MT competition by talking about the remedy and the medicines that should be developed to tackle black fever, as most of the existing medicines have lost their effectiveness against the disease. She also presented her own research. The disease is also mostly unknown to the people of Canada, which made Atia’s feat even more impressive.
Islamic University (IU) students from the 2018–19 academic session are facing significant hurdles, as they’re still awaiting their official marksheets a full year after graduating. This prolonged delay is preventing many from pursuing job opportunities and higher education, drawing sharp criticism from the Bangladesh Students’ Union, IU unit.
In a press release issued on Monday, July 7, the student organization voiced its “deep dissatisfaction and concern,” labeling the delay “completely unacceptable.” The statement, signed by IU unit president Mahmudul Hasan and general secretary Nur Alam, highlighted that while university authorities cite “software-related issues” as the cause, the union believes the persistent problem points to administrative failure and negligence towards student welfare.
“When transcripts and certificates can be printed and distributed online, such a long delay in issuing marksheets is both disappointing and disgraceful,” the student leaders asserted.
The Students’ Union has urged the IU administration to take immediate steps to resolve the issue and ensure students are not subjected to “unnecessary harassment” when collecting their academic documents. They also warned that if effective action isn’t taken promptly, they will organize peaceful demonstrations in coordination with the wider student body.
The Ummul Muminin Ayesha Siddika Hall at Islamic University (IU), Kushtia, has rolled out a free Quran learning program for its female residents. Kicking off on Saturday, July 5, the “Free Correct Quran Education” initiative held its inaugural session in the hall’s prayer room.
The launch saw the presence of Hall Provost Prof. Dr. A.K.M. Rasheduzzaman, alongside house tutors and office staff. A total of 35 female students attended the first session, which commenced with a prayer.
To ensure quality instruction, an experienced female instructor from Kushtia has been appointed. The classes will emphasize correct pronunciation and recitation of the Quran (Tajweed), aiming to deepen students’ religious understanding and values. According to hall authorities, the program is completely free, with only a nominal charge for a few supplementary books.
One participating student praised the initiative, stating, “The provost took a wonderful initiative for us. These programs will greatly enhance our religious knowledge alongside academic learning.”
Prof. Dr. A.K.M. Rasheduzzaman, the Hall Provost, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “We are grateful to the Almighty for allowing us to introduce such a meaningful program—perhaps the first of its kind in any public university dormitory. Our goal is to ensure that our students receive proper Quranic education so that they can enlighten their lives with the teachings of the Holy Quran, alongside their pursuit of worldly knowledge.”
This new program has garnered positive feedback from both students and the wider university community, marking a significant stride towards promoting a balanced spiritual and academic environment for female students at Islamic University.
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.
