An Asian dream come true Regional university for women opens

Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong was inaugurated yesterday with Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus expressing the hope that the new university would bridge different nationalities, their cultures and values, and create new human beings who would be leaders to build societies free of all sorts of discrimination.

The globally famed economist said at the inaugural he expects the AUW to prepare students in a manner that 'they would not look for jobs, but create jobs for their own'.

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, who was in the chair at the function held in the capital, said, "By bringing women from all across Asia, the university can help forge a new Asian identity that can be immensely beneficial in a region where economic prosperity has accrued unevenly."

The new identity, he said, "Can help our region in turning the extraordinary economic strides made by a few Asian countries known as the 'Asian Miracle' into a truly Asian phenomenon."

Fakhruddin, also chief patron of the AUW, lauded its decision to reserve one-half of its new enrolments to students who are the first in their families ever to enter university.

The inaugural held at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital was also addressed by Dr Hoon Eng Khoo, AUW's provost, Jack R meyer, chairman of the Board of AUW Support Foundation, and Lone Dybkjaer, co-chair of AUW International Support Committee. AUW President and CEO Kamal Ahmad moderated it.

The university opened its doors in March this year with Access Academy, a pre-collegiate bridge programme providing students with English language studies, math and quantitative reasoning, and computer skills training. It will open undergraduate classes in July next year.

It will educate promising young women from across South and South East Asia and the Middle East, with particular emphasis on inclusion of women from poor, rural and refugee populations.

The AUW's commitment to be open to students from different backgrounds is significant, the caretaker government chief said. "The result is not just fairness of opportunity but also the ability to harness new talents in the service of our communities."

He said no sustainable development could occur without half of the people (women) fully engaging in uplift activities of the nation. A university dedicated to the education and empowerment of women will not only change the landscape of higher education but also unleash the potential of half of the population.

Dr Yunus said, "The university is a melting pot for Asia and the world. It will be an example of an institution where students will not be confined in buildings, but will go to villages and learn from struggles of people. Such programmes should be part of curriculum."

The Grameen Bank founder and managing director hoped that young and bright women from across Asia will learn from each other at the AUW and help reduce gaps that cause conflicts.

Jack Meyer said women in the world, particularly in this part of the world, are deprived of due rights for various socio-cultural reasons. But it is good education that can turn them into leaders to shape the value system and bring revolutionary changes in their own societies, he added.

Hoon Eng Khoo said a practice in the region is that women in families take heavy burden but get less benefits.

Educated at the new international standard university, the women can surely take part in political leadership and cultural movements for changes, she noted.

Stanford University, California, will send two post doctoral fellows to serve at the AUW, while Aalborg University, Denmark, has entered an agreement to collaborate on establishing a graduate programme in Information & Communication Technology at the AUW, according to a press release.

Madrasa students vandalise DU VC office Press for relaxing admission rules for them DU Correspondent

A group of recent madrasa graduates vandalised the office of Dhaka University (DU) Vice-chancellor (VC) Prof SMA Faiz yesterday spreading panic on the campus. The vandals were demanding cancellation of the university authorities' decision to not allow admission to students who did not study Bangla and English of 200 marks each in their higher secondary or equivalent courses. About 200 madrasa students from different city madrasas along with some DU students embarked on the vandalism around 4:30pm, eyewitnesses said. Six departments of DU this year decided not to allow admission to students who did not study Bangla and English of 200 marks each in their higher secondary or equivalent courses, and the DU committee of deans recently approved the decision. The attackers vandalised doors, window panes, furniture and other office decorations. “It was unimaginable what they did here today, such an incident never happened before in the history of the university. They should be arrested for the offence," Prof Faiz told reporters at a news briefing following the vandalism. He said the attackers started ransacking his office in front of him, when he told them that the university authorities' decision is final and there is no chance of changing it now. The attackers threatened him saying they will not let the university run normally, if they cannot get admission, the VC added. Prof Faiz however assured the irate madrasa graduates that the university authorities will discuss the matter in future considering their grievances, but the current decision is final for this year. The VC expressed his astonishment at the fact that the vandals left the office and the DU campus without any resistance after the vandalism. "I immediately contacted the police and that was the very first time I ever called them to take action, as it was too much," Prof Faiz added. When asked whether the attackers were DU students or outsiders, Prof Faiz said, "They came to me as students -- I couldn't specifically identify anybody." But other DU sources said the attackers were from different madrasas of the city who were accompanied by some DU students who had also studied in madrasas before getting admitted to the university. Some student leaders however alleged that the attackers were brought in, supported and escorted by Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami. Sources in the VC office said the attackers went to the office in the afternoon and submitted two memorandums to Prof Faiz under the banners of Bangladesh Madrasa Chhatra Andolon Parishad, and Madrasa Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakhan. "Stern actions will be taken according to the university rules if the vandals are identified as university students," Prof Faiz said adding that they will seek legal action to the full extent against the perpetrators, if they turn out to be outsiders. The university syndicate last night formed a four-member committee headed by Treasurer Prof Syed Abul Kalam to investigate the incident. The committee was asked to submit its report in seven days' time. Strongly condemning the attacks, the syndicate recommended that the two students who signed the memorandums be expelled if found to be DU students. Replying to a question regarding whether the incident was the result of a conspiracy to close the university, Prof Faiz said, "I am surprised -- such a motive might have been behind it." He said the DU authorities will not let that happen, adding, "We will resist such attempts all together." He called on all related to the university to cooperate with the DU authorities, so no more unexpected incident occurs on the campus. Prof Faiz confirmed that sales and submission of admission forms will continue today according to the authorities' decision. He said the DU authorities have urged police to provide necessary security during sales of admission forms at banks on the campus. DU officers' association, class IV employees' union, and DU teachers association (Duta) in separate news releases condemned the incident and demanded exemplary punishment for the perpetrators. Duta executive committee is scheduled to meet this morning to discuss yesterday's vandalism. Officer-in-charge at Shahbagh Police Station told The Daily Star that DU security officer Kamrul Hassan filed a case against 150-160 unidentified people last night.

BNP, allies wait for govt talks as time ticks away

BNP will apply for registration with the Election Commission (EC) by tomorrow, the closing date for applications. Its Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan said this to The Daily Star after a meeting with Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office late at night. Though the extended time limit for submitting applications expires tomorrow, BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami have yet to collect forms. Earlier in the day, senior leaders of the parties said they are prepared for registration and waiting for a positive response from the government to the seven-point demand they placed at the dialogue on October 14. "We will have to apply for registration within October 20," Nazrul Islam Khan told The Daily Star minutes before midnight. “I have just discussed with the chairperson everything about registration. We are ready and waiting to hear from the government about our demands," he added. Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), another component of the BNP-led rainbow coalition, collected their application form last week and was working to tailor the party constitution to meet the requirements for registration, sources in the IOJ said. The IOJ however will not submit its application to the EC until the four-party coalition decides to register, the sources added. Senior officials at the EC secretariat said the commission might again face difficulties if the BNP and its allies do not apply for registration by tomorrow, which is mandatory for the political parties to contest the parliamentary polls. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda however hoped that the BNP and the Jamaat will file their applications by tomorrow, noting that the commission had earlier extended the time limit only for them. The deadline was extended by five days to October 20 on request of the two parties who then said they would register after holding talks with the caretaker government. They sat in separate talks with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on October 14 and later said they will meet with the government again before the deadline for registration expires on October 20. "We hope the government will hold the second round of talks with us before October 20," BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday told reporters. "We hope our proposals as to registration will be accepted so the BNP can register," Delwar said. Asked whether the BNP will apply for registration if the government does not hold talks with them before October 20, he said they will decide on it. Sources in the BNP said some senior party leaders yesterday discussed the registration issue and were supposed to consult their party Chairperson Khaleda Zia last night. The BNP constitution empowers the chairperson to bring amendments to it in an emergency. Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Mohammad Kamaruzzaman told The Daily Star that they have almost completed the preparatory tasks for registration. "We'll sit today to discuss the registration and dialogue issues," he said. IOJ Secretary General Abdul Latif Nezami said they were making preparations for registration. "We'll submit applications after the four-party alliance reaches a decision," he told The Daily Star. Twenty-nine political parties applied to the EC for registration as of Thursday. The commission has so far given out 180 application forms. The EC will have to complete the registration work by October as it plans to announce the schedule for the December 18 parliamentary polls on November 1 or 2.