Category: Literacy

Number of child labour in various industries, factories and other risky workplaces has started reducing due to intervention of various time-fitting steps, including work oriented education, in the region for the last couple of years.

Deputy Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Ariful Islam said they are working with the children working in 38 risky sectors in the region.

In 2021, there were 190 child labourers under 14 in the risky sectors. They have brought 80 of those under work oriented education through freeing them from the risky jobs till April last.

Islam also said there are more than 5,000 child laborers in factories and other commercial establishments, including electric and welding, in the city and its outskirts and upazila markets which are beyond their registration process.

He said there are many reasons behind the child labours and they have limitations to mitigate the problems. Despite the limitations they are putting in their level best efforts to rehabilitate the child labourers every year in a planned way. They are being brought under technical and vocational education gradually.

Abdullah Khan, President of Rajshahi District Shramik League, said the child labours are subjected to repression and oppression coupled with bulling, mental and physical torture and sexual exploitation and abuse frequently.

Situation of child labour in marginalized and ethnic minority communities is more vulnerable compared to the urban areas. Daughter children in the poverty-prone areas face early marriage, while the boys are forced to work with guardians.

If the country can ensure a women-friendly and child-friendly environment then the child rights will be easily ensured.

Abdullah Khan said physical and mental development of children couldn't be possible until they were protected from risky labour.

The children should be protected from all sorts of labour, violence, repression and oppression so that they could make themselves competent enough to serve the nation.

He stressed that children should be taught positive social values and encouraged to develop healthy behaviors at an early age.

Apart from this, he emphasized the need for ensuring children's safety and security and stopping early marriage for the greater national interest.

Meanwhile, all the functioning silk industries and factories in Rajshahi industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) are freed from any child labour at present.

The positive scenario has been revealed by members of a national monitoring core committee of the labour and employment ministry after visiting some of the silk factories in the recent past.

The committee members went round the silk manufacturing ventures and factories like Lucky Weaving Silk Traders, Usha Silk, Sapura Silk, Adhunik Silk Mills, Nadim Silk Industries, Khaza Ahmed Silk Industries and Rajshahi Silk Fashion.

After visiting the industries, the team members mentioned that not a single child works in the factories. They have visited the business establishments to see whether any children work or not here and the team members are happy over the situation.

BSCIC Regional Director Rezaul Alam Sarker said social responsibility coupled with concerted efforts of all the government and non-government organizations concerned can be the best way of preventing child labour.

Side by side with building large-scale mass-awareness, owners of factories and industries should come forward and work together to eliminate the child labour for protecting their legitimate rights.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Sudeep Magar, a student of Grade 5 at Shree Secondary School, Rajena located in Ghorahi sub-metropolis-18 is elated to have lunch at school.

Likewise, Samjhana Nepali, studying in Grade 6 in the same school, is happier when the schedule for kheer or rice pudding comes. The school has made a schedule to serve halwa on Sunday, gram curry on Monday, kheer on Tuesday, chiura/pulau on Wednesday, khichadi/chiura on Friday and eggs on Friday.

Following the implementation of the midday meal program, many children are attending school regularly. Along with reducing the financial burden on parents, it has also encouraged students tp attend school regularly.

More than 715 students of the school enjoy free meals. Principal of the school, Uddhav Neupane, said that the program has also helped in maintaining the quality of education, along with nutrition for the children.

Rammani Pandey, the coordinator of the education committee and spokesperson of Ghorahi sub-metropolitan city, shared that the program was found to be very effective and useful for children.

In Ghorahi, 93 public schools are implementing the mid-day meal program. There are about 15,000 students in Ghorahi. The program has been implemented by making a work schedule to provide 180 days of daily lunch.

Deputy Mayor Huma DC said that the program has also discouraged the consumption of junk food and improved eating habits of the children.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

On the evening of 7 May, Kunnummal Saithalavi heard sirens of ambulances heading towards the coast of his town in the southern Indian state of Kerala and feared the worst.

Mr Saithalavi, 48, had been trying to get in touch with his family to no avail. "I tried them on three different mobile phones they used [but got no response]," he says.

Several members of his family had gone to Thooval Theeram, a popular tourist destination near an estuary in Tanur, a coastal town in the Malappuram district.

The night ended with horrifying news for Mr Saithalavi.

Eleven members of his family - including his wife and four children - were among 22 people who died after a packed tourist boat capsized here.

Mr Saithalavi and his younger brother Kunnummal Siraj lived with their families and their mother at their ancestral home in Puthankadappuram, just a few kilometres away from Thooval Theeram.

Their sister was visiting the family when they decided to visit the tourist destination.

The family also invited their adopted brother Kunnumal Jabir and his family, their neighbour Ashifa and her two children to join them on the excursion. The 19-member group went to the estuary on Sunday evening.

Mr Saithalavi says he joined his family at the spot and spent some time with them before leaving to meet a friend living nearby.

"I warned them not to take the boat ride as I was sure boating at that time would not be safe," he says.

His neighbour, Ms Ashifa, who had accompanied the family says the group was about to return home that evening when boat operators offered huge discounts on tickets and free tickets for children.

"It was an attractive offer," she says. "We accepted it but I changed my mind because of safety concerns."

Mr Saithalavi's family got on the double-decker boat for a ride.

But a few minutes later, Ms Ashifa who'd been waiting for them on the shore with her children, heard of the accident. "I was in shock," she says.

The boat had reportedly carried about 50 people, or double its capacity, when it overturned on Sunday night.

The operator did not have permission to take the boat into the waters after dusk, The Indian Express newspaper reported.

Officials say overcrowding caused the boat to capsize. Many passengers were trapped under the vessel. The darkening night sky hindered rescue efforts, local media said.

Mr Saithalavi was at the terrace of his friend NP Koya's house at the time of the accident. When calls to his family did not go through, both of them rushed to the coast.

"I feared something tragic had happened to my family," Mr Saithalavi says.

Once at the estuary, they took a boat docked on the shore and rushed to rescue accident victims.

"When we reached the spot in our small boat, there were many others who'd come there to help with the rescue," Mr Koya says "He [Saithalavi] was in panic when we reached the spot."

Mr Saithalavi says he was sure that his family was trapped under the boat and jumped into the water. He brought back one body to the boat, only to realise it was his niece.

"The moment he realised that the body we recovered was his niece's, he lost all confidence," Mr Koya says. Dazed with shock, Mr Saithalavi was taken back to the shore.

Mr Saithalavi had four daughters and his brother Mr Siraj had three, including an eight-month-old baby. He and Mr Siraj lost their wives and children in the accident. Their brother Mr Jabir also lost his wife and son.

Four persons in the family survived the accident - their sister Nusrat, her 18-month-old daughter Ayisha and two of Mr Jabir's children, Jarsha and Janna. They are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Mr Saithalavi's niece Ummu Habeeba KP says his daughters were his strength. "They always told him that they would help him by getting good jobs by studying hard, " she says.

His eldest daughter Hasna had dreamed of becoming a medical professional and was waiting for the results of her final school exams.

Ms Habeeba says the family had been trying to build a home for the last three years. Their current home did not have enough space for everyone, with the children in the family sleeping in the kitchen due to shortage of space.

"The children left the world leaving behind the dreams of providing a good life to their parents and a good home," Ms Habeeba says.

Source: BBC

The Grade 12 exam for this year kicked off today. More than 56,000 non-grade (NG) students have been appearing the exam for upgrading.

The exam begun today will continue till May 19. There are 1,453 exam centres across the country. The exam that kicked off at 8:00 am runs for four hours, according to the National Exam Board.

Exam Controller at Board, Krishna Prasad Sharma, shared information on it. The students who had secured non-grade (NG) in at least three subjects last year are sitting in the exam this year.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

The Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) has signed performance contracts with principals of community schools in a bid to ensure quality enhancement of school education.

The performance contracts were made with school principals to make school administration accountable and advance development and reform works, it was informed.

The contracts having 28 points were signed by internalizing the Federal Education Policy and school sector development plan in the presence of Mayor Dhanaraj Acharya and Chairpersons of the concerned school management committees. Chief of education division at Metropolis, Hem Prasad Acharya, signed the contract on behalf of Metropolis while principals on behalf of concerned community schools.

As per contract, the schools are asked to fulfill the vacant posts for teachers within a month, ensure school operation for 220 days in a years, including at least 192 days of teaching learning, and increase student enrollment and retention at basic level.

Similarly, the head teachers are obliged to prepare and implement a five-year school reform plan and one year's lesson/teaching reform plan.

The students should be focused more on practical and project works rather than limiting to textbooks. Timely availability of textbooks to students is equally stressed in the contract.

At the contract signing function, Mayor Acharya said there was no option but to enhance quality in community school education.

Meanwhile, the Metropolis has increased the monetary incentives to principals of community schools. The basic level principal will be provided Rs 2,000 while mid-level principal Rs 3,000 and secondary level principal Rs 5,000 per month.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

Admission test of Dhaka University's Arts, Law and Social Science unit, revised unit from previous ‘Kha’ and ‘Gha’ unit, for the 2022-23 academic session was held today peacefully in all the eight divisions of the country.

The one and half hour test was held from 11am to 12.30 pm where a total of 1,22,848 students applied to vie against 2,934 seats, with 42 aspirants against each seat.

"The examination was held peacefully and there was no news of any untoward incident. University authorities, law enforcement agency members and other concerned authorities were super alert to avoid any kind of untoward incident," said DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Akhtaruzzaman after visiting the exam halls.

He said, "We have arranged the exam of this year following a new procedure. We have renamed the test as Arts, Law and Social Science unit exam".

A total of 68,000 students are sitting for the exam on Dhaka University campus and the remaining students are sitting for the exam from other seven divisional cities, he added.

Examinees had to answer 60 MCQ questions from Bangla, English and general knowledge and 40 number of written test from Bangla and English within the given 90 minutes.

DU vice-chancellor Professor Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman visited the arts faculty exam hall at 11am.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

President Mohammed Shahabuddin today expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Rahima Wadud, mother of Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni.

In a condolence message, the Head of State prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of Rahima Wadud, mother of Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni.

In a message of condolence, the minister prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

"There are many things to learn from Rahima Wadud," Hasan added.

Rahima Wadud, wife of language movement veteran late MA Wadud, died of old-age complications at her residence at Kalabagan in the city today at the age of 98.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Rajshahi University (RU) has signed a memorandum

of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) aimed at

conducting education and research on disaster prevention and mitigation.

RU Registrar Professor Abdus Salam, Chairman of the Department of Geology and

Mining Prof Younus Ahmed Khan and BDRCS Secretary General Kazi Shafiqul Azam

signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides at the RU campus today.

The Departments concerned under the faculties of social science, science,

bioscience and geosciences will implement the MoU integratedly through the

Department of Geology and Mining.

Vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Golam Sabbir Sattar, Pro-VCs Prof Sulktan-ul-Islam

and Prof Humayun Kabir, Students Adviser Prof Jahangir Alam Saud, and BDRCS

Board Member Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Golam Sabbir Sattar said the research and

studies on climate change and its adaptation will be accelerated through the

MoU.

Apart from this, information and data to be collected from the research will

play vital roles towards mitigating the adverse impact of climate change in

the region, particularly in its vast Barind tract.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Beijing wants Dhaka at its side in opposing "unilateral sections" while advocating for an open global economy, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said here today.

"We should oppose protectionism, the erection of 'fences and barriers', decoupling, unilateral sanctions," he said while delivering keynote speech at a symposium in the capital.

The envoy said China and Bangladesh should make their relations a model of friendship among developing countries and thus make the contribution to the building of a human community with shared future.

"We should defend the true multilateralism, promote greater democracy in international relations, and work together to make global governance fairer and more equitable," said the ambassador.

Yao also put emphasis on advocating for an open global economy and promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.

"China and Bangladesh should deepen the Strategic Partnership for Cooperation and explore new growth points," said the ambassador.

He said Beijing is willing to work with Bangladesh to continue exploring cooperation opportunities under the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI).

The envoy said, they are willing to promote upgrading of industries and digitalization process in Bangladesh, and to improve the quality and competitiveness of "Made in Bangladesh".

"The Chinese side has noticed the "Indo-Pacific Outlook of Bangladesh" released recently, and believes that many of its ideas are similar to those of China," he added.

The ambassador said China supports Bangladesh in playing a more active and more significant role in regional and international affairs while preserving its foreign policy of Independence.

Regarding the Rohingya crisis, the envoy said China has been unswervingly mediating between Bangladesh and Myanmar to promote the repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland.

"A local friend once told me sincerely that many people provide lip-services, but only China is actually doing practical things to proceed with the repatriation," he said.

Yao said Beijing appreciates Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina very much for giving shelter to over 1.2 million Rohingyas making a heavy sacrifice.

The cosmos foundation organized the symposium entitled "Bangladesh-China Relations: Prognosis for the Future" at a city hotel.

The discussion was chaired and conducted by Cosmos Foundation president Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Chairman Enayetullah Khan delivered the welcome speech.

Vice Dean for Research, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Professor Kanti Bajpai, Senior Fellow and Secretary General of China and South Asia, Center Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), China Liu Zongyi, Professor, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, China Lin Minwang, Assistant Research Fellow, Institute for International Strategic and Security Studies, SIIS, China LI Hongmei, former Bangladesh High Commissioner to India and the United States Tariq A Karim took part as discussants at the dialogue.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations of 2023 under 11 education boards will begin across the country tomorrow.

All necessary measures have been taken to hold the exams smoothly, said Education Minister Dipu Moni at a programme in Bhola today.

Noting that there is no scope of question paper leakage this year, she said if the matter of spreading rumor in this regard is proved against anyone, stern action will be taken against the person concerned.

A total of 20,72,153 students under the 11 education boards - nine general, one madrasa and one technical - will appear in this year's examinations.

All coaching centres across the country have been declared closed from April 26 to May 23 on the occasion of the exams.

This year, the exams will also be held in all subjects with full 100 marks but on curtailed syllabuses. The decision to shorten the syllabuses was made considering the fact that the candidates of these public exams have attended fewer in-person classes compared to the pre-Covid period.

The examinees have, however, been directed to enter the centres 30 minutes prior to beginning of the examinations. Center secretary will be informed about the question code just 25 minutes before beginning of the examinations

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said that legal action will be taken against misuse of modern technologies.

"Modern technologies cannot be misused in any way. Those, who abuse the technologies, must face the music," he said at a view exchange meeting with local public representatives and local political leaders of Awami League (AL) at Chandina Upazila Poura Modern Community Centre here.

Urging the journalists not to publish any fake, fabricated or false report, the minister said, "You should practice what your consciences allow you to do. Otherwise, your dreams, my dreams, all will sink in the dark."

Speaking about the upcoming parliament election, Kamal said, "We don't believe in any conspiracy or in muscle power and gun barrel. We believe in the power of people. The people are with us".

Whoever says what, it will not work, he said, adding Sheikh Hasina will become the prime minister again with the people's verdict through elections.

Lawmaker Professor Dr Pran Gopal Datta presided over the meeting while AL Cumilla North District unit President Md Ruhul Amin and Chandina Upazila Parishad Chairman freedom fighter Tapan Kumar Baxi spoke, among others.

Cumilla Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shamim Alam, Superintendent of Police Abdul Mannan, AL Cumilla North District unit General Secretary Roshan Ali Master and former municipality mayor Mafizul Islam were present at the meeting, among others.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha