Education boss steps in to end Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology crisis,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid sits with “just resigned” deans and department heads of Buet today to discuss a possible solution to the ongoing crisis at the university.

He also invited two former vice-chancellors and five ex-students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to the meeting to be held at the ministry's conference room at 12 noon.

Teachers, students and employees of Buet started sit-in at the administrative building on Wednesday to press home their demands that include resignation of vice-chancellor and his deputy. Heads of all faculties, institutes and departments of Buet resigned en masse the same day.

The VC is yet to launch any talks with the demonstrators despite the prime minister's call for dialogue.

The agitating teachers said they have no objection to going for talks with the minister, but there would be no compromise with their main demand -- the resignation of the two top administration bosses.

Yesterday, as the sit-in stepped into fifth straight day, over a thousand anti-VC protesters marched in a silent procession towards Bangabhaban, the official residence of the president, around 11:00am to submit a memorandum.

But police obstructed them near Doyel Chattar around 11:30am.

A four-member delegation, led by Buet Teachers' Association President Prof Mujibur Rahman, went to Bangabhaban and submitted a memorandum seeking removal of the VC and the pro-VC.

Gathered at the gate of Dhaka University central playground, the agitators vowed to continue their protests until their demands are met.

MINISTER'S BRIEFING
The education minister yesterday sat with University Grants Commission Chairman Prof AK Azad Chowdhury and Education Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury to discuss the Buet crisis.

For today's meeting, he had invited the university's deans and department heads, ex-Buet VCs Abdul Matin and MH Khan and some other dignitaries like Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Prof Ainun Nishat, Mir Mobassher Ali, Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda and Abul Kashem.

"We will discuss with them openly and hopefully, there will be a solution," Nahid said.

Asked why he didn't invite the teachers association, he said the association was not involved with the administration.

Besides, the association said they would not sit with anyone other than the president and prime minister. "So we don't want to embarrass our teachers by inviting them."

When his attention was drawn to stepping down of deans and department heads, the minister said their resignations have not been accepted.

TEACHERS ASSOCIATION BRIEFING
After the advisory committee's meeting at the evening, Prof Mujibur Rahman, association chief, told reporters that there was no reason for not joining talks.

"We have no objection to attending the discussion. But we haven't got the invitation yet," he said. "We are and will stick to our demand."

Prof Ashraful Islam said apart from continuing the sit-in, they will hold a two-hour token hunger strike from 11:00am today and hold a general meeting of the association to fix the next course of action.

Also yesterday, some teachers, students and employees rallied in front of the university's cafeteria and brought out a silent procession on the campus, urging the agitators to call off the sit-in.

They alleged Jamaat-Shibir activists are active in demonstrations led by the teachers association.

Yaba trader jailed businessman Amin Huda and his partner Ahsanul Haque Hasan for 79 years,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced 79 years' rigorous imprisonment to businessman Amin Huda and his partner Ahsanul Haque Hasan in connection with the biggest haul of Yaba tablets in October, 2007.

It is the highest ever sentence given by a court for the seizure of Yaba tablets.

The duo has been sentenced to 79 years' rigorous imprisonment on different charges. Since the punishment will run concurrently, they will have to suffer a total of 14 years, the court said.

Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain of the Speedy Trial Tribunal also fined Tk 7.55 crore to each of them. In default of which, they will have to serve six more years in jail.

Amin, nephew of businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai, and Ahsanul were present in the dock when the judge pronounced the verdict.

The court sentenced them in two cases, filed with Gulshan Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act, on charges of possessing a huge quantity of Yaba tablets and other drugs at their residences.

Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments, and the court recorded statements of 30 prosecution witnesses including complainant and investigation officer of the cases.

On October 25, 2007, Rapid Action Battalion members seized 130,000 Yaba tablets and 5,000 Yaba alternative drugs from the possession of Amin and Ahsanul at their Gulshan office in the capital.

They also seized 818 SIM cards, one sex stimulating tablet, 139 bottles of foreign liquor, three pieces of IPS, one local area network switch, 12 quantum, 15 cellphones, a pair of handcuffs, six computer CPUs, 1,900 US dollar, 100 Hong Kong dollar, three Saudi riyal, 450 euro, 2,500 Thai baht, 125 Indian rupee, Tk 46,01,422, one laptop, 159 tellular sets, one gear switch, two channel boxes, three PC monitors, 2.5 litre orthophosphoric acid, one bottle dietheylethol and 10 tolas of gold.

VoIP equipment worth over Tk 5 crore was also seized from their office.

Following the seizure, Rab filed four cases against them.

The accused then filed separate writ petitions with the High Court (HC) challenging the legality of the proceedings of the cases.

After the hearing, the HC quashed one of the four cases that had been filed for running illegal VoIP business. It also stayed proceedings of another case filed for possessing foreign and local currencies.

The HC, however, continued the proceedings of two other cases filed for possessing Yaba tablets and other drugs.

Special Public Prosecutor SM Rafiqul Islam appeared for the state while Mahboob Ahmad defended the accused during yesterday's court proceedings.

Forget school, greet Shahara Students of a Bhola upazila made to queue up on roadside to welcome home minister,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The students of all the 85 educational institutions in Charfassion upazila of Bhola had to queue up on roadsides to greet Home Minister Shahara Khatun, and the teachers had to attend a meeting with her when she was on a visit to the upazila on Saturday.

Classes at all these institutions and examinations scheduled for the day at many of those were suspended, reports from Bhola quoting students, their guardians and teacher said.

The institutions included 43 primary, junior and secondary schools, 32 madrasas and 10 colleges.

Earlier in December, 2009 the government issued a notification forbidding closure of schools and queuing up of students during visits of government high-ups.

The home minister visited Charfassion upazila to inaugurate the newly constructed buildings of Dakkhin Char Aicha and Shashibhushan police stations.

Students of all the educational institutions were earlier asked to queue up on both sides of Bhola-Charfassion-Kachchhapia road to welcome the minister, and the teachers to attend her meeting with the local elite.

The administration organised the meeting held at Dakkhin Aicha Secondary School ground at 12:00 noon.

Contacted, Secretary of Bangladesh Shikkhak Samity, Charfassion upazila unit, Nazrul Islam admitted that at least 70 educational institutions in the upazila suspended classes and many of those deferred examinations scheduled for Saturday.

He, however, said, " We never asked these institutions to suspend the classes on the day."

When asked, the heads of five educational institutions said they had suspended classes as they were asked to ensure that their students queued up to greet the home minister.

And they deferred the examinations scheduled for Saturday to July 15 and 28 as per directive of the Upazila Shikkhak Samity, they added.

The five included Md Shahjahan, Harunur Rashid and Kamaluddin, headmasters of Dularhat, Keramatganj and Shashibhushan secondary schools, Principal of Janata Bazar College Shikharani Majumdar and Principal of Karimjan Mohila Madrasa Moulana Abdul Khalek.

Besides, guardians of many students echoed their views.

Asked, Bashir Ahmed, Bhola superintendent of police, said the meeting with the home minister was held on an abandoned field without hampering regular activities of any educational institution.

Mokammel Huq, Bhola education officer, said the authourities never asked any institutions to suspend classes or defer examinations.

Contacted, a high official of the home ministry said classes and examinations in any academic institutions of Charfassion were not affected since the minister visited Dakkhin Char Aicha at around 11:00am and Shashibhushan at around 4:30pm.

Preferring anonymity, he also said they did not know whether the authorities of the institutions suspended classes and examinations to greet the minister.