Taliban says women banned from universities in Afghanistan
Kabul, Dec 20: Women are banned from private and public universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect and until further notice, a Taliban government spokesman said Tuesday, the latest edict cracking down on their rights and freedoms.
The decision was announced after a meeting of the Taliban government.
They have banned girls from middle school and high school, restricted women from most employment and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Women are also banned from parks and gyms.
A letter shared by the spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, Ziaullah Hashmi, tells private and public universities to implement the ban as soon as possible and to inform the ministry once the ban is in place.
Hashmi also tweeted the letter from his account and confirmed its contents in a message to The Associated Press.
The university ban comes weeks after Afghan girls took their high school graduation exams, even though they have been banned from classrooms since the Taliban took over the country last year.
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BLO found dead in Bengal, work-related pressure alleged
Kolkata (PTI): A Booth Level Officer (BLO) was found dead in West Bengal's Bankura district on Sunday, triggering allegations that work-related pressure linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have played a role, police said.
The incident occurred in Ranibandh block, where the body of the deceased, Haradhan Mandal, was recovered from a school premises on Sunday morning.
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"Mandal was a schoolteacher by profession and served as the BLO of Booth No. 206 under the Rajakata area of Ranibandh block," a police officer said.
According to the officer, a note bearing the deceased's signature was recovered from the spot, in which he reportedly referred to being unable to cope with work pressure.
"We have seized the note and sent the body for post-mortem examination," he said.
The police initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to Mandal's death.
Officials said all angles are being examined.
"Till now, 39 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to SIR panic, including suicides," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed on December 2.
The SIR exercise began in the state on November 4.
