Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Dec 31) said her government wants to form an international standard education system in Bangladesh following the curriculum of world-renowned educational institutions. "We will give money whatever needs in education. There are renowned international universities - We have to see how they teach. What curriculum and which method do they follow? We want to establish international standard education system in Bangladesh," PM said. The premier said this while opening free textbook distribution programme at an event at her office through handing over books to students of pre-primary, primary and secondary levels in the morning. PM Sheikh Hasina said she wants to develop a nation with modern technology-knowledge-based education as she desired that students get such education from an early age. So, her government is giving importance to technical education and vocational training, she said. "We want to build a nation with modern-technology-knowledge-based education. We've already done everything for that," she added. Mentioning that the present era is the age of modern technology and knowledge, Sheikh Hasina said, "We will never be left behind. We have to keep pace with other countries. so we want our boys and girls to learn technology from early age." PM added, "We want our country to keep pace with the world. That is why we have to change our education curriculum." Referring to a quote of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the prime minister said Bangabandhu didn't consider the cost of education as an expenditure rather he used to think it a kind of investment. Calling on the students to pursue study attentively, she said life becomes failure without education as there may be wealth with many things but education is one thing that no one can take away. "We want to build the nation with versatile education. To build the smart Bangladesh, we need smart skilled population the most," she continued. Highlighting the importance of education to get rid of poverty, the head of government said they want to make Bangladesh a poverty-free country.   "Only education can make a country free from poverty. That is why we have given the most importance to education," she said. At the textbook distribution ceremony on the eve of 2024, Sheikh Hasina wished all a Happy New Year-2024. With Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni in the chair, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury delivered the welcome address. Since 2017, the government has been distributing braille books among the blind students alongside handing over books in Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo and Sadri languages to the children of minority ethnic groups to facilitate them to study in their mother tongue.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations of 2024 will begin on February 15. Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board Chairman Prof Tapan Kumar Sarkar confirmed the matter on Thursday. The schedule of the examinations will be published on the website, he said. Earlier in August, Education Minister Dipu Moni announced that the SSC and equivalent exams of 2024 will be held in February while the HSC and equivalent exams in April. For the past several years, the authorities concerned had to rearrange the academic calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic and natural disaster, but it will be fully set from the next year, she said.  

The World Health Organization on Thursday said several contaminated syrups and suspension medicines had been identified in countries in the WHO regions of the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. The affected products were manufactured by Pharmix Laboratories in Pakistan, the WHO said, and were first identified in the Maldives and Pakistan. Some of the tainted products have also been found in Belize, Fiji and Laos. Pharmix was not immediately available for comment. The medicines, liquids containing active ingredients to treat various conditions, contained unacceptable levels of the contaminant ethylene glycol, WHO said. The alert is the latest in a line of warnings from WHO about similarly contaminated medicines made in India and Indonesia, which were linked to the deaths of around 300 children worldwide last year. No adverse events have been reported to the WHO regarding the Pakistan-made syrups, the agency's statement said, but it urged countries to step up vigilance and test products made by the company between December 2021 and December 2022. The contamination was found in Alergo syrup in a routine examination by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority in November, and confirmed by the Australian regulator. A follow-up inspection at Pharmix manufacturing facilities, conducted by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, found that a number of other products were also contaminated. It has ordered the company to stop making all oral liquid medicines and issued a recall alert in November. A total of 23 batches of Alergo syrup, Emidone suspension, Mucorid syrup, Ulcofin suspension and Zincell syrup are affected, the WHO said. Only Alergo so far has been found outside Pakistan. The contamination levels ranged from 0.62% to 0.82%, compared to the accepted level of not more than 0.10%, according to the alert. The products are variously designed to treat allergies, coughs and other health issues. "The substandard products referenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death," the WHO warned.   Source: REUTERS

Meta revealed on Thursday that it had taken down numerous Facebook accounts from China, purportedly impersonating Americans and engaging in discussions on contentious issues such as abortion and healthcare, CNN reported. The tech giant issued a warning about “foreign threat actors attempting to reach audiences” in anticipation of the 2024 US election. The fabricated accounts replicated social media posts verbatim from both Republicans, including presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, and Democrats like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. While Meta did not attribute the network to a specific entity in China, it does reflect a broader trend of increased Chinese propaganda targeting American audiences. This development comes amid growing concerns about potential foreign influence in the 2024 presidential election, according to CNN. Furthermore, the report noted that US national security officials suspended their efforts to flag foreign influence operations on social media platforms due to a legal challenge. Meta executives confirmed that government agencies hadn’t shared information related to foreign election interference since July, with the US Supreme Court set to address the case. Before the court case, “there are a number of times when a tip from government has enabled us to take action … quickly” against covert foreign influence operations, Nathaniel Gleicher, Meta’s head of security policy, told reporters. Importantly, Meta took down the Chinese network before it gained any engagement from real users on its apps. “This is the most notable change in the threat landscape compared with 2020,” Ben Nimmo, Meta’s global threat intelligence lead, told reporters on Wednesday, referring to an increase in Chinese online influence operations in the last year aimed at audience around the world. The company highlighted the evolving threat landscape, emphasising a significant change compared to 2020, with a notable increase in Chinese online influence operations on a global scale. While Russia’s interference in the 2016 US elections showcased the use of trolls and bots to amplify divisions, China traditionally avoided such direct tactics. However, recent incidents, including the use of AI-generated images and a substantial online disinformation operation, suggest a shift in China’s approach. According to a recent CNN review of court documents and public disclosures by social media companies, the Chinese government has amassed the world’s largest known online disinformation operation. This operation is reportedly employed to harass US residents, politicians, and businesses, occasionally resorting to threats of violence against its targets. Despite these findings, China consistently denies allegations that troll farms operate from its soil. Despite Meta’s efforts to protect elections, concerns persist about the company’s direction. This includes reported layoffs in the team countering misinformation and Meta’s decision to allow political ads questioning the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on its platforms.   Source: The Print

DHAKA, November 28, 2023 – U.S. Embassy Dhaka’s Education USA center hosted a meet-up between American undergraduate students and their Bangladeshi counterparts at the new EMK Center on Gulshan Avenue. The 13 American economics students traveled to Dhaka from Carleton College, one of the top ten liberal arts colleges in the United States (according to U.S. News and World Report).   Carleton students met with Bangladeshi students from several local institutions, including Scholastica, Aga Khan Academy, the University of Dhaka, and Jahangirnagar University to exchange ideas and foster a deeper understanding of U.S. higher education. The session also included a presentation on how the U.S. government supports economic growth in Bangladesh.  For the past decade, the number of Bangladeshi students pursuing higher studies in the United States have increased by more than 300%.  According to the 2023 Open Doors Report, the number of Bangladeshi students in the United States reached an all-time high (13,563) in the 2022-2023 academic year.  Education USA centers across Bangladesh offer free virtual and in-person advising for Bangladeshi students and scholars about the U.S. higher education application process.  Sessions include information on different types of academic programs, funding and scholarship opportunities, and U.S. government-sponsored academic and professional exchange programs.  For more information, please visit:   https://www.facebook.com/EdUSABangladesh or e-mail [email protected]. EMK Center Address: Level 6, CES(A) 1/A, Road, 113 Gulshan Ave, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh