I always consider myself blessed as an alumni University of Dhaka.I was lucky enough to get an MSc degree with honour’s from the then Department of Soil Science, University of Dhaka. I will always have the honour’s of getting the final degree from the department by getting the first division.
On July 1, 1921, the progress university of Dhaka began with the start of educational activities. Dhaka University will take various programs to celebrate the centenary. university of Dhaka alumni association university of Dhaka Alumni Association’ may celebrate the centenary of the university by holding various programs. From now on, many people have started thinking about various issues.
History of university of Dhaka:
The establishment university of Dhaka has a long history. university of Dhaka was established due to the effort, hard work and sacrifice of many people. Till 1877 Aligarh College was the only standard institution of higher education for Muslims in India. After Dhaka became the new provincial capital in 1905, there was interest among many to establish a higher education institution and a university in Dhaka. On May 27, 1912, the then British-ruled Indian government formed a 14-member ‘Dhaka University Committee’ headed by Barrister Robert Nathan. The committee consisted of six British, four Muslims and four Hindus. Within a week of the cancellation of the partition of Bengal on 12 December 1911, Sir Solimullah sent a handwritten letter to Lord Hardinge on 17 December. Two days later he sent another letter on December 20 expressing his pain and frustration. The vice-boy attached great importance to Solimullah’s letter. The high level of the British government discussed how to prove that the British government is sincere in protecting the interests of the majority but deprived Muslims of East Bengal. They decided in principle that establishing a university in Dhaka was logical and the demand of the time and that is why Serious action needs to be taken.
A few weeks later, on January 31, 1912, when Lord Hardinge arrived in Dhaka for a three-day visit, a 19-member Muslim delegation led by Sir Salimullah met him. Then Hardinge said to them:
Just two days after this incident, the establishment of Dhaka University was announced through a government circular. After this announcement, there was a wave of joy among the Muslims of East Bengal and they thanked the government in various ways.
But this good news was not easily accepted by our long time Hindu friends. On February 12, 1912, a ten-member delegation of Hindu intellectuals led by renowned lawyer Ram Bihari Ghosh met Lord Hardinge and strongly opposed the establishment of Dhaka University. They said, the joy we have in uniting Bengal will be lost if the university is established in Dhaka and that will be internal division:
“It is feared that the creation of a University of Dacca will be the nature of an internal Partition – a break up the natural life of the peopl now happily re-united.”
On February 5 and 10, 1912, two protest meetings were held at Dhaka Ukil Library Hall under the chairmanship of Babu Trailokyanath Bose. It was then adopted that:
“Establishment of Dhaka University will deteriorate education. Therefore, there is no need for the proposed university.”
As a continuation of this opposition, on 28 March 1912, Hindus held a public meeting to protest against the establishment of Dhaka University in Calcutta Gar field. The meeting was presided over by Vishwa ani Rabindranath Tagore.
Calcutta University created the biggest obstacle in the way of establishment of Dhaka University. The then vice chancellor of Calcutta University, Sir Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay, strongly opposed the establishment of Dhaka University. He was joined by the communal politician Surendra Nath Banerjee, who is known as the father of so-called Indian nationalism. University Of Dhaka was established in 1921 on several hundred bighas of land donated by Nawab Solimullah, ignoring all obstacles. Nawab Sir Solimullah died on 16 January 1915. His dream university was established six years after his death. His close friend Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury and his son-in-law Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque played a leading role in realizing this dream.
Prominent writer, journalist Syed Abul Maqsood, in his book “Dhaka University and Higher Education in Bangladesh” while discussing the history of Dhaka University, said, “From 1911 to ’21, it can be seen in the main newspapers of Kolkata, on the one hand, there is strong opposition to the establishment of a university in Dhaka and Those who oppose, on the other hand, are working hard to establish several universities in Calcutta and West Bengal. Rabindranath, who became world famous after receiving the Nobel Prize, was weaving a dream of establishing a university in Belapur near Calcutta. He had a zamindari in East Bengal, his source of income was East Bengal, but the unfortunate truth. In his words, he had no enthusiasm for Dhaka, the capital of East Bengal. Travelled all over the world, but came to Dhaka only twice in his long life. Even when university of Dhaka gave him a deletion, he accepted it himself.”
“Rabindranath founded Vishwa Bhartiya in 1921, the year Dhaka University was established. The reason for Rabindranath’s opposition to the establishment of Dhaka University is easy to understand. At the same time, Ras Bihari Ghosh and his colleagues established the National University at Jadavpur.”
The first Vice-Chancellor university of Dhaka was Philip J. Hartog. He and his wife Mable Helen Hartog arrived in Calcutta on 1 December 1920 from London via Mumbai. According to the Dhaka University Act 1920, the Viceroy appointed him as the Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University for five years. His monthly salary is four thousand taka, accommodation is free. According to DMA Rahim in his The History of the University of Dacca, he was appointed on 1 December 1920 and formally assumed charge on 10 December.
Hartog was a Jew by religion, British by race. He was born in London on March 2, 1864. He is the third son of a wealthy and cultured father, Alphonse Hartog. His ancestors were French Jews.
The debt of the people of Bangladesh, especially the modern educated people, to Philip Hartog is immeasurable and unrepayable. Bangladesh has become a modern intellectual society, modern poets, artists, writers, academics, intellectuals, progressive politicians have been created And social reformers have been created, skilled and highly educated administrators have been created in the past hundred years, for which the role of Dhaka University and its founder Vice-Chancellor Hartog is the main one. Dhaka University has a hall named after him also known as International Hostel. But the name is ‘Sir PJ Hartog International Hall’.
Retiring from Dhaka University in 1925, Hartog joined the Indian Public Service Commission in 1926 as a member. On June 27, 1947, Sir Philip Hartog died at the age of 83 in a nursing home in London.
Dhaka University Centenary Achievements:
In 1921, Dhaka University had only 877 students. There were only 60 teachers. In 1923-24, the number of students in Arts, Science and Law was 1,170. In 1924-25 it increased to 1 thousand 322 people.
The present Dhaka University is a huge empire. According to the data of 2014, Dhaka University has 1,862 teachers, more than 40,000 students, and 5,308 evening students. Presently 13 faculties, 74 departments, 11 institutes, 48 research bureaus and centres, 19 residential halls, 3 hostels. 967 officers, 1 thousand 121 third class employees, 10 thousand 134 fourth class employees. The number of teachers with PhD is 1 thousand 99.
Dhaka University was operated till 1947 according to Act 1920. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, many changes came gradually. In 1961, a new ordinance was issued to curtail the rights and freedom of Dhaka University. The government tries to control many things. After the independence of the country in 1961, Dhaka University Ordinance was issued in 1973 by cancelling the previous order of that time. At present, all activities of the University are being conducted through the Ordinance of 1973.
The history of Dhaka University is not only the history of the establishment of an educational institution, but also the history of the socio-economic, cultural and political evolution and rise of the people of a town history Those who were students of Dhaka University for 50 years from 1921 to 1971 have played the biggest role in the social and economic development of Bangladesh. Their role is also important in the nationalist politics of Bangladesh. The contribution of teachers and students of Dhaka University in realizing the hopes and aspirations of the people of this land is incomparable.
For a long time the Muslim society of Bengal was in the darkness of ignorance and superstition. The position of the Masalas of Bengal was very far from modern higher education. Due to economic weakness, it was not possible for everyone to go to Calcutta or Aligarh for higher education. After the establishment of Dhaka University, the people of Bengal got rid of this condition. The children of rural medium farmers also get the opportunity to get higher education in Dhaka University due to the provision of accommodation and food in the residential hall at a relatively low cost. By receiving modern education, they also get the opportunity to enter the government jobs. As a result, an educated middle class emerged in Bengal only in the Sikh century. At one point they took the leadership of the country and the development of independent Bangladesh took place under their leadership.
Dhaka University plays a great role in the development of art, literature and culture. The role of modern education is important in achieving the excellence of literature and culture. It is not possible to build modern advanced culture with backward and archaic education. Before the establishment of Dhaka University, Bengali Muslim literature and journalism were not modern. Dhaka University is the cradle of modern Bengali Muslim writers.
Dhaka University is and still is controlling the intellectual world of the country. This university plays a role in socio-economic progress. The contribution of this educational institution to the practice of modern scientific thought is the highest. Though small in scale, an enlightened society has been developed in Bangladesh, against blindness and superstition and against all forms of medievalism, is the contribution of Dhaka University.
There was a time when the role of the students and teachers of this university was immense not only in the field of education, but also in the independence movement. The nation will forever remember the role and contribution of Dhaka University students-teachers, officials-employees in the language movement in 1952, student movement in 1969, great liberation war in 1971, anti-dictatorship movement in 1990.
Current University of Dhaka:
Dhaka University, known as the Oxford of the East, is our largest and greatest university. A lot of sacrifice, hard work Dhaka University. But after independence in 1971, Dhaka University belonged
The battle continues to maintain the glory, dignity, respect, reputation. In the long 50 years, the university has deteriorated instead of improving.
During this time, Dhaka University was killed, murdered, disappeared, and murdered. The university has been closed again and again. Students had to stay away from studies for many days after the closure of studies. Dhaka University has become a place of all irregularities starting from session congestion. The learning environment has reduced the class in many cases. The quality of education has gone down as Dhaka University is no longer in the university rating.
As the main reasons for this situation, we have the reckless student-teacher politics of Dhaka University after independence, gross negligence of duties and responsibilities of many teachers, naked interference of the government and opposition political parties, appointment of party people at the top level etc. Various corruptions, irregularities, arbitrariness, misuse of university laws, partisanship, appointment of party incompetent teachers and officials have completely destroyed the university environment. By rejecting the recruitment of Dhaka University on the basis of merit, the quality of education has deteriorated drastically by appointing teachers with less merit in party identity.
What has happened since independence in the name of Dhaka University politics is not in any way compatible with the spirit of freedom and liberation war. A lot has been said from different quarters to stop teacher politics. But as the political parties of the country could not reach a consensus, university politics is getting worse day by day. After the establishment of Dhaka University i.e. till 1947 the university standards and education activities were fine. Students and teachers were busy in higher education and research. There was no point in implementing the agenda of the political party as it is now.
Currently, student-teacher politics has become the main activity of the government and opposition political parties of the country. Just as many teachers are busy with politics after leaving education and research, students are giving more time to party political activities instead of acquiring knowledge.
The motto of the life of a class of university teacher is to hold various important positions in the university and the state through politics. On the other hand, the government also does not place any teacher in these attractive positions without political loyalty and active political activities. Therefore, keeping this goal in mind, teachers, teaching, research and other educational activities are left out
He spends his precious time behind party politics. The situation is such that before and after being appointed as a teacher, many teachers understand that competence, honesty, devotion, knowledge-dignity, research is not the main thing. Politics and party loyalty are the key to progress and improvement in life. So spend all the energy of life to achieve this goal. All these teachers do not sit until the goal is achieved.
Our entire nation has degraded greatly in terms of values, morals, principles and ideals. Lack of accountability has led us to arbitrary taxation. There are also some teachers who don’t take classes properly, don’t take exams, even if they take exams, they don’t give results on time. And some teachers of another class are so busy with private university classes and exams with more courses for the greed of money, they don’t have time to take Dhaka University classes.
Only Dhaka University, all government universities are in this state. These institutions of higher education are becoming dull day by day due to lack of responsibility or accountability. No university can run like this, it should not be allowed to run in any way. We all know that all government institutions including Dhaka University are running on the tax money of the poor people of our country. University for the sake of the country and ten
All teachers, officials, employees should be brought under strict accountability.
What is needed now:
1. Now it is necessary to establish the rule of law in all areas. Implementation of the law. The Dhaka University Act of 1973 needs to be amended. Not only Dhaka University, but all government universities should be amended to completely stop teacher politics as well as political party Lazur scholarships. Teachers can be politicized, but party workers and leaders cannot be politicized. If you want to do active politics, you have to leave university teaching. If such a law is implemented, the learning environment in the universities will be restored and the quality of education and research will increase. The nation will be saved from the Great Flood.
2. University should give merit based recruitment at all levels. No appointment can be made on political grounds. The provision of non-appointment should be introduced if doing active politics. A university is a place of education, research and study. It is not right for anyone to accept teaching or work to do politics here.3. We should try to bring student politics under the boundaries of education politics. Transparency should be brought in student politics based on the consensus of all political parties. Initiatives should be taken to stop student politics by becoming an organ of the political party. Student life should be limited to solving student problems and national problems in student politics. The nation has to come out of the trend of student politics to implement the main program of the political party.
The student society should come out of the environment of extortion and tendering in the name of student politics in the university arena. Students are the future of the nation. Therefore, they should end their education life by enriching their lives by getting appropriate, correct, knowledge-based education. Being a student is not a business at all. Studying as a student will be the only passion of life, profession and meditation.
Conclusion:
Calcutta-based caste Hindu leaders mocked the university established in Dhaka as ‘Makkah University’ or ‘Fakka University’. Ignoring their cynicism, it was this university that accelerated the development of the Muslim middle class as a breeding ground for the talented politicians, intellectuals, academics and jurists of later Muslim Bengal.
According to Sir Philip Hartog, Dhaka University was an ideal university. Syed Abul Maqsood in his book ‘Dhaka University and Higher Education in Bangladesh’ published in 2016 said in the last ‘conclusion’ title of the book,
“Many of the eminent academics said, Dhaka University is the best, no one said it more. Dhaka University had the potential to become a model university like Oxford in England and not only had the potential, but was also prepared to do so. But being a colonized country, there was economic coherence. No. There was no deficiency in the efforts of the first stage directors. Yet what Dhaka University has given to the nation is second to none.”
আবুল কাসেম হায়দার
সাবেক সহ সভাপতি এফবিসিসিআই, বিটিএমইএ, বিজিএমইএ , বেসরকারি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় সমিতি, প্রতিষ্ঠতা চেয়ারম্যান ইস্টার্ন ইউনির্ভাসিটি ও ইসলামিক ফাইন্যান্স এন্ড ইনভেস্টমেন্ট লি:, অষ্ট্রেলিয়ান ইন্টারন্যাশনাল স্কুল, আবুল কাসেম হায়দার মহিলা কলেজ সন্দ্বীপ, চট্টগ্রাম, সাবেক সিনেট সদস্য ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়।
তিনি আজীবন সদস্য : এশিয়াটিক সোসাইটী বাংলাদেশ, বাংলা একাডেমী, চট্টগ্রাম সমিতি, সন্দ্বীপ সমিতি ঢাকা ।
লেখক দৈনিক আজকের আওয়াজ ও সাপ্তাহিক প্যানোরামা সম্পাদকের দায়িত্ব পালন করছেন।
