IN FREEDOM MOVEMENT: Besides contributing to excellent academic achievements, the teachers and students of this university were at the forefront of movements against the British colonial oppression, and later against the neo-colonial Pakistani ruling class. No doubt, the teachers and students of this university protested government's myopic decision of banning Tagore songs in the public media in early 1960s. This is the same University which had the reputation and ability to provide Doctor of Literature (D.Lit.) to personalities like Sir Abdur Rahim, Sir Jagodish Chandra Basu, Sir Prafulla Chandra Roy, Sir Jadunath Sarker, Sir Mohammad Iqbal, Rabindranath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, among others. That the university could attract Rabindranath Tagore just within five years of its establishment who gave a couple of talks on contemporary socio-political and governance issues on February 10 and 13 in 1926 speaks a volume about its excellent moral strength and intellectual prows. Although many teachers left Dhaka after the partition, the University continued to follow the trend of attracting talented academics for many years to come. Undoubtedly, the period 1921-47 was the golden age of Dhaka University. I used to think- what a grand arrangement, just for teaching us!" ((Patel, Alaknanda, 'Prithibir Pathe Hente', Bengal Publications, 2017, pp. Every evening, something is happening somewhere in the university - sometimes a debate, sometimes a drama, somewhere a seminar, somewhere a lecture. She quotes an autobiographical essay by her father's friend Parimal Roy: ". Given this background, the unique role it has been playing ever since as the breeding ground for the renaissance of the people of this region cannot be denied.Īlaknanda Patel, daughter of Professor Amiya Kumar Dasgupta, an early student of Dhaka University and a teacher in the Department of Economics, drew a touching image of Dhaka University after hearing about its heydays from her father, her father's colleagues, and her own research. And the ball started rolling towards the creation of this university. In particular, the Muslim leadership led by Nawab Salimullah met the Viceroy Lord Hardinge during his visit to Dhaka in 1912 and put their demand for establishing Dhaka University to quell this anguish of the people of East Bengal. However, after the annulment of the Partition of Bengal in 1911, the emerging middle class of the region was left with deep frustration and despair. 81).īRIEF HISTORY: After the partition of Bengal in 1905, a positive atmosphere developed in East Bengal, mainly for fulfilling the greater aspirations of the middle class, particularly the emerging Muslim middle class. And most of the heroes of this freedom struggle were students of this university." (Rafiqul Islam, Dhaka University's Contribution to the Freedom Struggle of Bangladesh, Dhaka University - Special supplement published on August 15, 1975, on the occasion of the arrival of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu, p. Therefore, "Most of the important events of the freedom struggle of Bangladesh were organised in Dhaka University. The best practice of exploring our self-identity took place at the Dhaka University campus. AH Khan's 'Selected Speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu, Ekattar Prakashani, 2011, p.97). My Bangla's struggle, my Bangla's heritage, and blood create my Bengali nationalism." (Speech in the Constituent Assembly on the draft constitution on Octosee Dr. In Bangabandhu's own words, "My Bangla, my culture, my civilisation, my sky, my air, my history - these are the elements that make the nationalism of my Bangla. Undoubtedly, Dhaka University is the fountainhead of Bengali nationalism. Limited in-person programmes have also been planned and some already observed. Thanks to the unprecedented development of digital technology following the visionary move of HPM Sheikh Hasina to achieve 'Digital Bangladesh', we can now observe these three 'milestones' at least 'virtually'. Moreover, we are not able to celebrate the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence as we have been dreaming of. At the same time, we are highly distressed over the fact that the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation could not be celebrated in a joyous atmosphere either. Unfortunately, the ongoing Corona crisis has hindered our ability to celebrate the birth centenary of our alma mater with the enthusiasm it deserves. Photo Collectedĭhaka University officially began its journey on July 01, 1921. Dhaka University Arts Faculty Building premise with landmark sculpture Aparajeo Bangla.
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