Latest news with #RabindraUniversity
News18
02-08-2025
- Politics
- News18
Neglecting Tagore's Legacy: Students Protest To Demand Campus For Bangladesh's Rabindra University
Last Updated: 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 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
B'desh: Students demand Environmental Advisor's resignation over delay in construction of permanent university campus
Students at Bangladesh's Rabindra University took to the streets in Dhaka on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the interim government's Environmental Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan due to the delay in the construction of a permanent university campus, years after its foundation. The public university's students carried out a road blockade on the Dhaka-Pabna highway, demanding approval of the DPP (Development Project Proposal) for a permanent university campus. Reportedly, the university has been running in a rented building for almost nine years, and yet, the construction of a permanent campus has not started. Syeda Rizwana Hasan had visited the proposed site for the permanent campus of the university on July 16 and had said, "This demand is logical, but in Bangladesh, one must persist for a long time to achieve anything." This further enraged the students and led to protests and roadblocks. The students who have long been demanding a permanent campus. However, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has not yet allocated any funds for the construction, reports the leading Bangladeshi daily, The Dhaka Tribune. The students gathered by the highway near the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) bus stand in Siraganj, Dhaka, sitting in protest on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. They formed a human chain and stated that the delay in approval for the DPP is "disappointing" and questioned why, of all universities, they are being deprived of a campus. Traffic on the highway came to a standstill due to ongoing protests, causing severe congestion. This situation resulted in long lines of vehicles forming on both sides of the road, leaving drivers and passengers in distress. On Saturday, students wore black badges and formed a human chain, rejecting the day program offered by Rabindra University in protest against the administration for not meeting their demands. The university administration, in response, postponed examinations scheduled for the ongoing recruitment process, along with written and oral exams for Bangla and Economics, as well as Management departments.
