Neglecting Tagore's Legacy: Students Protest To Demand Campus For Bangladesh's Rabindra University

News18

5 days ago

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Students and teachers at Rabindra University have been taking classes on the Dhaka-Pabna National Highway, leading to trouble for commuters
The legacy of Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate who composed Bangladesh's national song, is under fresh scrutiny after miscreants recently vandalised his ancestral house in Sirajganj. Adding to the growing concern is the plight of Bangladesh's Rabindra University, an institution named in the Nobel laureate's honour, which still lacks a permanent campus after its inception.
Students and teachers at Rabindra University have taken to the streets since July 26, staging a continuous protest on the Dhaka-Pabna National Highway. They are demanding immediate construction of a permanent campus—a promise long overdue. Demonstrations include symbolic classroom sessions on the highway, human chains, and road blockades, causing major disruptions to commuters.
The university, established during then prime minister Sheikh Hasina's tenure, officially began its academic activities in the 2017–2018 session. Although 100 acres of land were allocated in Shirajgunj and a Rs 519 crore project has been approved by the Ministry of Education, the project still awaits final approval from ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council).
Protesters, including faculty members, students, and local citizens, claim the delay is due to a negative environmental report submitted by Environment and Forest Affairs Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan. During a recent highway protest, students chanted slogans demanding her resignation, alleging that her report has stalled the project without justified reason.
'This university is in the name of the great Rabindranath Tagore, who gave us our national song, yet we are being denied a permanent campus," said Zakaria, a first-year PG Sociology student, speaking to News18.
'We have been protesting for the last three months. We are bleeding from our hearts because we cannot even properly respect Tagore. We will go for bigger protests if ECNEC doesn't act."
As part of the protest, university teachers held symbolic classes on the highway, where students attentively attended 12 classes across five departments. The powerful and poignant act was meant to highlight the poor academic conditions students are currently facing in rented facilities.
Currently, the university operates out of two rented buildings—Shirajpur Mohila College and Saifuddin Yahia Degree College—with over 1,200 students, 34 teachers, 54 officers, and 107 staff. Lacking hostels, a proper campus, and basic infrastructure, the university falls far short of standard higher education expectations.
'We don't know what's in the environmental report, but the way this project is being neglected is unacceptable," said Nazrul, the university's Proctor. 'This is not about politics—it's about our fundamental right to education and respect for Tagore's legacy."
Protesters have vowed to continue their movement until the Development Project Proposal (DPP) is fully approved and construction begins. According to organisers, highway blockades will continue until at least August 10 and may escalate further if their demands are not met.
First Published:
August 02, 2025, 16:26 IST
News world Neglecting Tagore's Legacy: Students Protest To Demand Campus For Bangladesh's Rabindra University
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