The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has issued an urgent directive instructing all educational institutions across Bangladesh to organize sports, co-curricular, and cultural competitions throughout the year. The notice, signed by Deputy Director Professor Md. Shahidul Islam, outlines events such as football, volleyball, chess, cricket, and running under sports categories, while debate, quiz, and speech contests fall under co-curricular activities.

Cultural competitions will include Quran recitation, Nazrul and Rabindra songs, folk music, solo acting, dance, and graffiti drawing. The DSHE emphasized that such activities complement academic learning and play a vital role in students’ holistic development. Institutions have been asked to arrange these events on a house-based system, integrating them with regular class schedules.

The initiative aims to make school and college environments more dynamic and engaging, fostering teamwork, creativity, and leadership among students. Activities are set to begin in January and continue throughout the academic year.

Bangladesh’s National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is racing to complete printing nearly 300 million textbooks for the 2025 academic year, but delays in tender processes have raised concerns about timely distribution. While all 90 million primary-level books have been printed and dispatched, printing for most secondary-level books has only recently begun, leaving publishers doubtful that all students will receive their books by January.

Printing industry representatives blame the delay on NCTB’s cancellation of earlier tenders for grades six to eight, which compressed the production timeline to just 50 days. Analysts warn that if students do not receive books at the start of the school year, learning outcomes could suffer. NCTB officials, however, remain optimistic that distribution will be completed on time.

Economic adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed downplayed fears of major disruption, saying all pending approvals have been finalized and only minor delays may occur. With national elections and religious holidays approaching, education experts urge swift government action to avoid setbacks in the learning process.

Students from the As-Sunnah Foundation’s ‘Medhabi Project’ blockaded the main gate of Jagannath University’s administrative building for nearly ten hours on Monday, demanding inclusion in the university’s special housing stipend policy. The protest, which began around 11 a.m., left the vice-chancellor, treasurer, and several officials confined inside the building until about 8:30 p.m.

The demonstrators presented three key demands: inclusion of Medhabi Project residents under the general housing stipend policy, replacement of merit-based criteria with need-based eligibility, and cancellation of the re-admission condition. During the prolonged protest, one student reportedly fell ill due to exhaustion and was taken to the university medical center. Protesters argued that they pay high accommodation fees but are unfairly excluded from the stipend.

University authorities have yet to issue an official response. The students vowed to continue their movement until their demands are met, warning of intensified action if ignored. The standoff highlights growing tension over housing affordability and equity in university welfare policies.

Dhaka Metro Rail services will be temporarily suspended for 40 minutes today, December 16, to ensure safety during a parachute jump demonstration at the old Tejgaon Airport area as part of Victory Day celebrations. The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) announced that operations will halt from 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Ahsan Ullah, Deputy Project Director (Public Relations) of DMTCL, confirmed the schedule, citing safety measures for paratroopers as the reason behind the short suspension. The authority expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to passengers and assured that services will resume immediately after the event.

The temporary halt reflects coordination between metro authorities and national event organizers to maintain public safety during the Victory Day festivities, which include military demonstrations and aerial displays. Normal metro operations are expected to continue smoothly following the brief interruption.

Mirsarai Upazila in Chattogram is facing a critical shortage of assistant education officers, with eight out of nine sanctioned posts currently vacant. The lone officer in service is expected to remain until January, leaving the local primary education office under severe strain ahead of upcoming merit evaluation exams, the national election, and the annual textbook festival.

The upazila, covering 482.88 square kilometers, includes 191 government primary schools, 45 kindergartens, two private primary schools, and six ibtedayi madrasas, serving around 34,000 students. Officials say the shortage of officers has disrupted regular school inspections and parent–teacher meetings, which previously helped maintain educational standards. Only one of six clerical positions is also filled, further hampering administrative work.

Upazila Primary Education Officer A.K.M. Fazlul Haque warned that managing so many institutions with minimal staff will be extremely difficult during the upcoming events. He urged immediate recruitment of assistant education officers to ensure smooth operations and maintain educational quality.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of Bangladesh has released a new directive regarding the syllabus for the 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations. According to the notice, irregular and grade-improvement candidates will continue to follow the 2025 revised syllabus, rather than a newly developed one. All education boards have been instructed to take necessary measures to implement this decision.

The Dhaka Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education confirmed the implementation through an official letter issued on Thursday, December 11. The letter clarified that the 2025 HSC, equivalent, and Alim examinations were conducted under the NCTB’s revised curriculum, and the same syllabus will remain valid for those retaking or improving their results in 2026.

Education officials say the move aims to ensure consistency and fairness for students who could not pass or wish to improve their grades. Further updates on any future curriculum changes are expected to be announced later by the NCTB.

Bangladesh’s Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has announced that admissions for students selected through the digital lottery for government and private secondary schools will begin on December 17 and continue until December 21. If seats remain vacant, the first waiting list will be used from December 22 to 24, and the second from December 27 to 30. All admission activities must be completed by December 30.

The DSHE circular instructs schools to carefully verify each student’s documents, including original birth certificates and parents’ national ID cards. Institutions must strictly follow quota policies and reject any student found to have provided false information. School heads will face disciplinary action for any irregularities in the admission process.

According to the published results, 305,499 students were selected in the first list, including 107,521 for government schools. In private schools, 197,978 students were selected, leaving 874,273 seats vacant, highlighting a significant gap between applications and available admissions.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) in Bangladesh has officially released the results of the digital lottery for student admissions from grades one to nine in both government and private schools. The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon, following a morning session dedicated to the technical execution of the lottery. According to the published results, 107,521 students were selected for government schools, while 197,978 were chosen for private institutions.

The digital lottery was conducted under the direct supervision of DSHE and the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka. DSHE Director Professor Dr. Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel stated that the selection was carried out automatically through software, ensuring compliance with the Education Ministry’s policies and seat availability. Officials emphasized that the system guarantees transparency, accuracy, and fairness, eliminating previous concerns about manual selection and admission irregularities.

Education authorities believe the digital process will strengthen public trust and help curb admission-related corruption, marking a significant step toward digital governance in the education sector.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has released a detailed list of items passengers can and cannot carry on the city’s metro rail, aiming to ensure safety, cleanliness, and comfort. Bags must not exceed 22 inches in length, 14 inches in width, and 9 inches in height, with a maximum weight of 15 kilograms. Backpacks must be carried by hand, not on the back, and sacks made of plastic, jute, or fabric are banned.

The prohibited list includes live animals, raw fish or meat, juicy fruits, open food, sharp tools, large machines, flammable substances, explosives, and certain electronics or musical instruments. Sealed water bottles, laptops, packaged snacks, and small shopping bags are allowed if they meet size limits.

Officials said the rules are designed to prevent odors, spills, and accidents inside trains. DMTCL may revise the list as needed to maintain passenger safety and system integrity. Passengers are urged to check their bags before entering stations to avoid delays or penalties.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of Bangladesh has issued new guidelines regarding the syllabus for the 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations. According to the directive, irregular and improvement candidates will continue to follow the revised syllabus used for the 2025 exams. All education boards have been instructed to take necessary measures to implement this decision.

The Dhaka Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education circulated the instruction on December 11, confirming that the 2025 HSC and Alim exams were conducted under the NCTB’s revised curriculum. Following that pattern, the same syllabus will apply to irregular or improvement candidates in 2026. Education boards and related institutions have been asked to ensure compliance with the directive.

This move aims to maintain consistency in assessment standards and reduce confusion among students preparing under different syllabi. Further updates on the 2026 regular candidates’ syllabus are expected from NCTB in the coming months.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has announced that the written examination for the recruitment of assistant teachers in government primary schools will be held simultaneously across all eight divisions on January 2. The exam will begin at 10 a.m., according to Masud Akhtar Khan, Additional Secretary of the ministry’s school division and a member of the Primary School Teacher Recruitment Committee.

Earlier, the recruitment process was announced in two phases. The first phase, published on November 5, covered Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet, Khulna, Barishal, and Mymensingh divisions, offering 10,219 assistant teacher positions. The second phase, announced on November 12, included Dhaka and Chattogram divisions with 4,166 vacancies. The unified examination aims to streamline the recruitment process and ensure uniform evaluation across the country.

Officials expect the synchronized exam to reduce administrative complexity and maintain transparency. Results and subsequent interview schedules are likely to follow in early 2025, depending on the exam’s completion and evaluation timeline.

The Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) in Bangladesh has cancelled several days of the upcoming winter vacation for government primary school teachers to ensure completion of annual examinations. The directive, signed by Deputy Secretary Rowshan Ara Polly on December 9, instructs schools to hold postponed exams between December 11 and 15, excluding Friday and Saturday. Teachers will be required to supervise and conduct the tests during what was originally scheduled as holiday time.

According to the DPE, the decision follows disruptions caused by recent teacher protests, which prevented many schools from holding exams on December 1–4. The ministry emphasized that rescheduling is essential to maintain academic continuity and ensure fair evaluation for students. The annual holiday list had earlier designated December 11 as the start of the winter break.

The move has drawn mixed reactions from educators, with some expressing frustration over the shortened break, while officials argue it is necessary to uphold the academic calendar. Further instructions on exam management and reporting are expected later this week.

A private helicopter owned by Square Group, en route from Pabna to Dhaka, made an emergency landing in a crop field in Manikganj on Tuesday afternoon after developing a mechanical fault midair. The S2–AGP helicopter landed safely around 4:30 p.m. in the Karikhola area of Atigram Union, avoiding any damage or injuries. The aircraft carried six passengers, including individuals close to Square Group Managing Director Tapan Chowdhury.

Following the landing, another Square Group helicopter arrived to transport the passengers to Dhaka. Aircraft technician Mohammad Shibbir Hossain later inspected the site and identified an issue with the lead-acid aviation battery, which was sent to Dhaka for testing and recharging. A main technical team is expected to begin repair work on Wednesday.

Local residents gathered in large numbers to witness the grounded helicopter, prompting Square Group to deploy about 30 staff members to guard the site overnight. Authorities confirmed that the situation remained under control and no injuries were reported.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) of Bangladesh has issued five urgent directives to all educational institutions to guarantee the timely distribution of free textbooks for the 2026 academic year. The notice, signed by Assistant Director S.M. Ziaul Haider Henry, emphasizes that printing and supply of textbooks for primary, secondary, Dakhil, SSC, and vocational levels have already begun.

According to the circular, institutions must collect textbooks from designated printing firms following National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) specifications. Officials are required to approve delivery challans online without delay through the NCTB portal. The DSHE also instructed that book distribution continue uninterrupted, including on weekends, and that all district and sub-district education officers update their contact details and signatures in the system.

The directives aim to prevent delays and ensure quality control in textbook distribution, a recurring challenge in previous years. Authorities expect the measures to streamline logistics and improve accountability across administrative levels before the new school year begins.

A major error in the British Council-administered IELTS English proficiency test has led to incorrect results for around 80,000 candidates worldwide, according to a report by The Telegraph on December 7. The technical fault caused some failing candidates to be marked as passing, allowing thousands of migrants, students, and healthcare workers to obtain UK visas despite insufficient English skills.

The report also revealed evidence of exam paper leaks in Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam. Conservative Party members in the UK have demanded that ineligible migrants be identified and deported. IELTS authorities attributed the problem to a technical malfunction affecting listening and reading scores, claiming only about 1% of tests were impacted. However, that percentage equates to roughly 78,000 exams. The organization has since contacted affected candidates and reissued corrected results.

The incident raises concerns about the reliability of international testing systems and the potential risks to UK education and healthcare sectors, where English proficiency is critical for safety and performance.