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Startup Bangladesh cancels Tk 50m investment for 10 Minute School

Wednesday, 17 July 2024



Startup Bangladesh Limited has cancelled its Tk 50 million investment in 10 Minute School after the online educational platform's founder posted in support of the quota reform movement on Facebook, reports bdnews24.com.
On Monday, Startup Bangladesh took to Facebook to announce the cancellation of the investment, stating: "Startup Bangladesh Limited has cancelled the investment proposal of Tk 50 million for 10 Minute School."
A few minutes later, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the ICT state minister, shared Startup Bangladesh Limited's post from his official Facebook page.
While responding to a question at the BSRF Dialogue Programme organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum on Tuesday morning, Palak said: "Today, we cancelled the investment proposal of Tk 50 million for 10 Minute School. Due to the agreements, we can't disclose any information about the negotiations."
"If someone disputes Bangladesh, the Liberation War, or Bangabandhu, if they take a stand against these ideals, the government will naturally respond."
He also added: "No matter who it is - a person or an institution - they must uphold Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty, and the spirit of the Liberation War." Startup Bangladesh is the flagship venture capital fund of the government's ICT Division.
When bdnews24.com contacted Md Dewan Adnan, the organisation's investment manager, to learn more about the incident, he suggested contacting Nafis Islam, the marketing manager of Startup Bangladesh Limited.
However, Nafis could not be reached for a comment as his phone was switched off after initially being busy.
Ayman Sadiq, the chief executive officer of 10 Minute School, could not be contacted for comment either due to his mobile phone being switched off.
On Monday, Ayman made a post on his Facebook page protesting against the attack on the students taking part in the anti-quota protests for government jobs.
He also posted an illustration with blood smeared on Dhaka University's logo on his Facebook page. His caption read: "Dhaka University has been bloodied! Why is there blood on my campus? I register my protest."
On Monday, students and job seekers continued their protests to demand reforms of the quota system for government jobs. At the same time, the Bangladesh Chhatra League held a counter rally in protest of the students' anti-quota movement.
Later, clashes broke out on the campus as the BCL members tried to disperse the protesters by beating them.
Ayman Sadiq, who was a student of Dhaka University's IBA faculty himself, used a black display picture on his Facebook page to stand in solidarity with the anti-quota protesters. However, he later deleted the profile picture.
On Jul 13, he took to Facebook to write: "I want quota reform. Let talent be the biggest quota. #QuotaMovement."