History of the University of Dhaka

Last updated

The University of Dhaka was established in 1921 as the first university in East Bengal. Following demands from Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur and others, Viceroy Lord Hardinge proposed on 2 February 1912, that a new university should be established in this partition of Bengal.

Contents

Curzon Hall, where the science faculty of University of Dhaka was established in 1921. DSC03638.JPG
Curzon Hall, where the science faculty of University of Dhaka was established in 1921.

Introduction

The University was established as compensation for the annulment of the 1905 Partition of Bengal. The partition had established East Bengal and Assam as a separate province, with Dhaka as its capital. However, the partition was abolished in 1911. In 1913, public opinion was solicited before the university scheme was given its final shape, and the Secretary of State approved it in December 1913. [1] The first vice-chancellor of the university was Philip Joseph Hartog, who had been academic registrar of the University of London for 17 years. [2]

Foundation and early days

Established in 1921, under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council, the university is modelled after British universities. Academic activities started on 1 July 1921, with three faculties: Arts, Science, and Law. Classes were taught in 12 departments: Sanskrit and Bengali, English, Education, History, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Persian and Urdu, Philosophy, Economics and Politics, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Law. Initially there were three dormitories for students: Salimullah Muslim Hall, Dacca Hall and Jagannath Hall. [3]

Opposition

Many notable people, especially Hindu leaders, opposed the then government's intention to establish the University of Dhaka. Advocate Dr Rashbehari Ghosh told viceroy that the establishment of a separate university at Dhaka would promote 'an internal partition of Bengal'. They also contended that "Muslims of Eastern Bengal were in large majority cultivators and they would benefit in no way by the foundation of a university". Asutosh Mukherjee, vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, also opposed its creation. [4] According to Major General M. A. Matin, Rabindranath Tagore attended the Gorer Math Rally which was against the formation of the university. However, the authenticity of his statement remains debatable. [5] [6]

Establishment and the British era

Dhaka University Central Students Union building Dhakauniversity (58).JPG
Dhaka University Central Students Union building
Sir Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, one of the proposers of University of Dhaka Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury.JPG
Sir Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, one of the proposers of University of Dhaka

The university continued to grow under the direction of leaders including Harry Langley, A. F. Rahman, R. C. Majumdar, and Mahmud Hussain.[ citation needed ] Under Vice-Chancellor Hussain, the University consolidated its fundamental focus on academics. It also made national headlines when he extended an invitation to then-President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan, who declined citing 'security reasons'. This was the first of many subsequent refusals from high-ranking officials to visit East Pakistan.

Students from 1921 to 1948

There were few students in the early years of the University of Dhaka. Enrollment in the first few years is shown in the table below: [7]

SessionNumber of Muslim studentsNumber of total students
1929–304271300 (Except the training college and Medical Schools)
1930–313991300
1930–341027
1934–35933 (Including 39 female students)
1937–385951527
1939–406731527
1940–416001633
1945–461000 (Including 90 female students)
1946–471092 (Including 100 female students)
1947–481693 (Including 72 female students)
Rabindranath Tagore in Jagannath Hall RTagore RCManumdar.jpg
Rabindranath Tagore in Jagannath Hall
A poem written by Rabindranath Tagore for a magazine of Jagannath Hall Poem DU Rabindranath.JPG
A poem written by Rabindranath Tagore for a magazine of Jagannath Hall

University of Dhaka in the Liberation war (1970s)

Teachers who were killed in 1971

Students and teachers of the University of Dhaka played a vital role in the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. The Ordinance of 1961 was annulled and substituted by the Dacca University Order of 1973., The new Order restored autonomy, and provided a democratic atmosphere for the teachers and students where they could engage freely in academic and intellectual pursuits.

Teachers at the University of Dhaka who were killed during the liberation war include: [1]

Name of TeacherInstitution
Dr. Mohammad MortuzaChief medical officer of the university
Giasuddin AhmedUniversity of Dhaka
Dr. ANM MuniruzzamanUniversity of Dhaka
Dr. Jyotirmoy Guha Thakurta University of Dhaka
AN Munir ChowdhuryUniversity of Dhaka
Mofazzal Haider ChowdhuryUniversity of Dhaka
Dr. Abul KhairUniversity of Dhaka
Dr. Serajul Hoque KhanUniversity of Dhaka
Rashidul HasanUniversity of Dhaka
Anwar PashaUniversity of Dhaka
Dr. GC Dev University of Dhaka
Dr. Fazlur RahmanUniversity of Dhaka
Dr. Faizul MohiUniversity of Dhaka
Abdul MuktadirUniversity of Dhaka
Sarafat AliUniversity of Dhaka
Sadat AliUniversity of Dhaka
AR Khan KhadimUniversity of Dhaka
Santosh C BhattacharyaUniversity of Dhaka
Mohammad SadeqUniversity Laboratory School
Anudippayan BhattachariyaUniversity of Dhaka

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology</span> Public university for engineering and technology in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, commonly known by the acronym BUET, is a public technological research university in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1876 as the Dacca Survey School and gained university status in 1962, it is the oldest institution for the study of engineering, architecture, and urban planning in Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengali language movement</span> 1940s–50s movement for recognition of the Bengali language in East Bengal

The Bengali language movement was a political movement in former East Bengal advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as a co-lingua franca of the then-Dominion of Pakistan to allow its use in government affairs, the continuation of its use as a medium of education, its use in media, currency and stamps, and to maintain its writing in the Bengali script.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhaka Medical College and Hospital</span> Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) is a public medical college and hospital located in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It houses a medical school as well as a tertiary care hospital on its campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. K. Fazlul Huq</span> Bengali statesman and jurist (1873–1962)

Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq, popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla, was a Bengali lawyer and politician who presented the Lahore Resolution which had the objective of creating an independent Pakistan. He also served as the first and longest Prime Minister of Bengal during the British Raj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhaka College</span> One of the oldest educational institution in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka College also known as DC is one of the most important as well as the earliest higher secondary educational institution of Bangladesh located in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. It offers higher secondary education. It has Honours and Master's programs as well which are affiliated with the University of Dhaka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partition of Bengal (1905)</span> 1905 territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency by the British Raj

The first Partition of Bengal (1905) was a territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency implemented by the authorities of the British Raj. The reorganization separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. Announced on 16 July 1905 by Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India, and implemented West Bengal for Hindus and East Bengal for Muslims, it was undone a mere six years later. The nationalists saw the partition as a challenge to Indian nationalism and as a deliberate attempt to divide the Bengal Presidency on religious grounds, with a Muslim majority in the east and a Hindu majority in the west. The Hindus of West Bengal complained that the division would make them a minority in a province that would incorporate the province of Bihar and Orissa. Hindus were outraged at what they saw as a "divide and rule" policy, even though Curzon stressed it would produce administrative efficiency. The partition animated the Muslims to form their own national organization along communal lines. To appease Bengali sentiment, Bengal was reunited by King George V in 1911, in response to the Swadeshi movement's riots in protest against the policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Salimullah Medical College</span> Public medical college in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC), commonly known as Mitford, is a public medical college in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1875, it is the oldest and second largest medical school in Bangladesh. It includes Mitford Hospital, which is the oldest hospital in the country and one of the earliest hospitals in the Indian subcontinent from where the evolution of medical education started.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahbag</span> Major neighbourhood and thana in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Shahbagh is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or thana in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub. It is a junction between two contrasting sections of the city—Old Dhaka and New Dhaka—which lie, respectively, to its south and north. Developed in the 17th century during Mughal rule in Bengal, when Old Dhaka was the provincial capital and a centre of the flourishing muslin industry, it came to neglect and decay in early 19th century. In the mid-19th century, the Shahbagh area was developed as New Dhaka became a provincial centre of the British Raj, ending a century of decline brought on by the passing of Mughal rule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Bengal and Assam</span> Former province of India

Eastern Bengal and Assam was a province of India between 1905 and 1912. Headquartered in the city of Dacca, it covered territories in what are now Bangladesh, Northeast India and Northern West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khwaja Salimullah</span> Politician, patron of Bengali education and Nawab of Dhaka (1871-1915) (r. 1901-1915)

Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur was the fourth Nawab of Dhaka and one of the leading Muslim politicians during the British rule in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nawab of Dhaka</span>

The Nawab of Dhaka, originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of one of the largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of nawab, similar to the British peerage, was conferred upon the head of the family by Queen Victoria as a recognition of the first Nawab's loyalty and contribution to the social welfare activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengali nationalism</span> Ideology of Bengalis

Bengali nationalism is a form of nationalism that focuses on Bengalis as a single ethnicity by rejecting imposition of other languages and cultures while promoting its own in Bengal. Bengalis speak the Bengali language and mostly live across Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. Bengali nationalism is one of the four fundamental principles according to the Constitution of Bangladesh and was the main driving force behind the creation of the independent nation state of Bangladesh through the 1971 liberation war. Bengali Muslims make up the majority (90%) of Bangladesh's citizens (Bangladeshis), and are the largest minority in the Indian states of Assam (29%) and West Bengal (27%), whereas Bengali Hindus make up the majority (60%) of India's citizens (Indians) in Indian state of West Bengal, and are the largest minority in the Indian states of Assam (28%) and Jharkhand (8%) and the independent state of Bangladesh (8%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1971 Dhaka University massacre</span>

1971 Dhaka University massacre refers to the massacre of students and faculty at the University of Dhaka in East Pakistan by the Pakistan Army, at the beginning of what would become the Bangladesh Liberation War. In March 1971, the Pakistan Army Eastern Wing Commander Tikka Khan launched Operation Searchlight on the orders of dictator Yahya Khan to crush the Bengali nationalist movement. As part of the operation, the army launched an assault on the university campus. It is the deadliest university attack in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azizul Haque (educator)</span> Indian lawyer and Muslim activist

Sir Muhammad Azizul Haque, KCSI, CIE, also known as Muhammad Azizul Huq or Mohammad Azizul Huque, was a Bengali lawyer, writer and public servant. He studied at Presidency College and University Law College in Calcutta. He worked to better the condition of Muslim people, primarily in the rural farmlands. This led him to work with Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Haque, Sir Abdulla Suhrawardy, Sir Salimullah and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He remained friends with many throughout his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Dhaka</span> Public university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The University of Dhaka is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established in 1921 as University of Dacca and it is the oldest active university in Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salimullah Khan</span> Bangldeshi writer

Salimullah Khan is a Bangladeshi writer, academic, teacher and public intellectual. Khan explores national and international politics and culture using Marxist and Lacanian theories. Informed and influenced by Ahmed Sofa's thoughts, his exploration of Bangladesh's politics and culture has a significant following among the country's young generation of writers and thinkers. Khan translated the works of Plato, James Rennell, Charles Baudelaire, Frantz Fanon, Dorothee Sölle into Bengali. In Bangladesh, he is a regular guest in talk shows on national and international political issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Fazlur Rahman</span> Bengali academic

Sir Ahmad Fazlur Rahman, also known as A. F. Rahman, was a Bengali academic. He served as the first Bengali Vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka during 1934–1936. He was knighted by the British Government of India in 1942.

Syed Sajjad Hussain was a Pakistani-Bangladeshi academic and writer. He served as the 4th Vice-chancellor of the University of Rajshahi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Nasr Waheed</span> Bangladeshi Islamic scholar (1878–1953)

Abū Naṣr Muḥammad Waḥīd, or simply Abu Nasr Waheed, was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, educationist, author and politician. He is best known for his reformations to Islamic education in Bengal, and development of Arabic language education among Bengali Muslims. Wahid also served as the Education Minister of British Assam and a member of the Assam Legislative Assembly.

References

  1. 1 2 Sajahan Miah (2012). "University of Dhaka". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  2. "Sir Philip Hartog, a Great Educationist". The Times . London. 28 June 1947. p. 6. [Hartog] was appointed Academic Registrar to the University of London, and held that office with great efficiency for 17 17 years ... Hartog was made [Dhaka University's] first vice-chancellor.
  3. "Prospectus" (PDF). University of Dhaka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  4. "University of Dhaka".
  5. Matin, M. A. আমাদের স্বাধীনতা সংগ্রামের ধারাবাহিকতা এবং প্রাসঙ্গিক কিছু কথা[Amader Swadhinata Sangramer Dharabahikata abong proasangik kichu katha] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Ahmad Publishing House. ISBN   9841105348.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  6. "Prof Anisuzzaman says claims Rabindranath opposed Dhaka University are baseless".
  7. Dhaka University & the History of East Bengal: An interview of Professor Abdur Razzaq, written by-Sardar Fazlul Karim সরদার ফজলুল করিম রচিত ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় ও পুর্ব বঙ্গীয় সমাজ: অধ্যাপক আবদুর রাজ্জাকের আলাপচারিতা