Jagannath University has announced that its 2025–26 academic year undergraduate and BBA first-year admission tests will be conducted solely through multiple-choice questions (MCQs), replacing the previous written format. The decision aims to ensure fairness in evaluation and reduce travel and safety concerns for students. The exams will be held simultaneously in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Cumilla using identical question sets. Each test will carry 100 marks, with 72 for MCQs and the rest based on SSC and HSC GPA scores. Subject combinations will vary by faculty, covering areas such as English, mathematics, general knowledge, and science. Online applications will open on November 20 and close on December 3, with unit-based fees ranging from 1,000 to 1,200 taka. The admission tests are scheduled between December 13 and January 23 across different faculties.

The Ministry of Education of Bangladesh has finalized and published the admission policy for government schools from grades one to nine for the 2026 academic year. The policy, signed by Secretary Rehena Parveen, sets strict age limits, requiring students to be at least five and at most seven years old as of 2026, with a five-year relaxation for special needs students. Each class section will have a maximum of 55 students, and online birth registration verification will be mandatory. Applications and lotteries will be managed digitally by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), allowing up to five school preferences per student. The catchment area system in Dhaka remains unchanged, reserving 40% of seats for local students. Other quotas include 5% for freedom fighters’ children, 2% for special needs, and 3% for siblings. The digital lottery will be held on December 14, with admissions from December 17–21.

Jahangirnagar University has announced an increase in its total undergraduate admission seats for the 2025–26 academic year, raising the number from 1,816 to 1,842. The Central Admission Committee confirmed that each department will maintain a 50-50 gender allocation between male and female students. The revised seat distribution covers all academic units: 426 seats in Unit A (Science and IIT), 326 in Unit B (Social Sciences), 466 in Unit C (Arts, Humanities, and Law), 64 in Unit C1 (Drama and Fine Arts), 310 in Unit D (Biological Sciences), 200 in Unit E (Business Studies), and 50 in IBA-JU. The Law and Justice Department saw a notable increase of 16 seats compared to last year. The university, known for its research excellence, will conduct admissions based on these updated allocations.

The University of Dhaka has extended the online application deadline for undergraduate (honours) first-year admission for the 2025–2026 academic session by three days. According to a notice published on the university’s admission website on Thursday, the application period, which began on October 29 at noon and was originally set to end on November 16 at 11:59 p.m., will now continue until midnight on November 19. The extension was made to accommodate students whose eligibility might change after the publication of the re-evaluation results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations on November 16. All other admission-related dates will remain unchanged, the notice added.

The results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exam re-scrutiny will be released on Sunday, November 16, according to the Inter-Education Board Examination Controllers’ Committee. A total of 226,561 students from 11 education boards applied for re-scrutiny of 428,458 answer scripts this year. The results will be available on the respective education boards’ official websites from 10 a.m., and students will also receive notifications via SMS on the mobile numbers used during application. The original HSC results were announced on October 16, and dissatisfied students were allowed to apply for re-scrutiny between October 17 and 23 by paying a fee of Tk 150 per paper. The re-scrutiny process involves rechecking the total marks awarded, not re-evaluating the answers themselves.

South Korea conducted its annual College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), known locally as Suneung, on Thursday, November 13. The exam, lasting 13 hours, is considered one of the longest and most challenging in the world. Over 550,000 students participated this year, with the entire nation observing a day of silence to ensure a distraction-free environment. Authorities imposed traffic restrictions near test centers and many businesses closed for the day. The test plays a decisive role in determining students’ academic and career futures, prompting both government and citizens to cooperate in maintaining order and quiet throughout the day.

A fisherman named Ishak Haldar from Goalanda in Rajbari district caught a 24-kilogram Katla fish in the Padma River early Thursday morning. The fish was caught around 3 a.m. near the Daulatdia river confluence. Later, it was taken to the Daulatdia fish market, where it was auctioned for Tk 2,650 per kilogram, totaling Tk 63,650. Local fish trader Chand Molla purchased the fish and later sold it to a businessman in Dhaka’s Gulshan area at a small profit. Such large Katla fish have become rare in recent times, drawing crowds of curious onlookers to see the catch. The fisherman and trader both expressed satisfaction with the price received for the fish.

Bangladesh’s National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) faces renewed uncertainty over timely distribution of secondary-level textbooks for the 2026 academic year. Despite initiating the tender process earlier than in previous years, delays caused by tender cancellations, re-approvals, and contract backlogs have slowed printing progress. While printing of grade six and nine books has begun, work for grades seven and eight has yet to start. Around 300 million textbooks are planned for printing this year, down from 400 million last year, with 180 million designated for secondary schools. NCTB officials claim 94% of primary-level books are printed and will be ready for distribution by January 1, but secondary-level printing may extend into December. Officials hope to finalize all contracts by November, though some press agreements remain pending, raising concerns that students may again face delays in receiving their books.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has revealed that it currently has no spare bearing pads for the metro rail pillars, raising safety concerns following the October 26 accident in Farmgate that killed pedestrian Abul Kalam when a pad fell from a pillar. Each of the 620 pillars has four pads, but none are available for replacement or functional testing. DMTCL Managing Director Faruk Ahmed said the issue arose because the contract documents did not specify the need for spare parts. Temporary safety measures have been taken, and 20 new pads are expected to arrive by January. The investigation committee’s tenure has been extended to November 15, with new experts added. DMTCL has also decided to employ Kalam’s widow as a computer operator and has provided his family with Tk 500,000 in initial compensation.

Bangladesh’s Education Ministry has assured that the transfer process for MPO-listed teachers recommended by the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) will be implemented by January 2026. The assurance came during a meeting on November 10 between ministry officials and representatives of protesting teachers demanding swift action on their transfers. The meeting, lasting about one and a half hours, was attended by a seven-member delegation from the Bangladesh Teachers’ Transfer Aspirants Unity Alliance. The teachers expressed cautious optimism following the ministry’s commitment but warned of renewed protests if the promised timeline is not met. The ministry’s engagement marks a potential resolution to a long-standing demand among NTRCA-recommended teachers seeking workplace transfers.

Bangladesh’s Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has announced that admissions for the 2025 academic year in both government and private secondary schools will again be conducted through a digital lottery system. Applications will be accepted online from November 21 to December 5, with the lottery scheduled for December 14. Teletalk, the state-owned mobile operator, will provide technical support for the online process. Head teachers will upload vacancy information between November 12 and 19, and admission notices will be published from November 13 to 19. Selected students can complete admission from December 17 to 21, while two waiting lists will be used between December 22 and 30. The Education Ministry has yet to issue the final admission policy, but the process follows the pandemic-era system introduced in 2021.