Khulna University sparks fresh controversy
Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
In a major development, the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh interim government has removed the names of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and members of his family from 13 public universities, as per an ordinance published in the official gazette on Thursday.
According to the ordinance, issued by President Mohammed Shahabuddin under Article 93 (1) of the Constitution, the name changes aim to eliminate confusion caused by similar names across multiple public institutions. Most universities have been renamed after their respective regions or districts.
Among the notable changes: Netrokona’s Sheikh Hasina University is now Netrokona University, Kishoreganj’s Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University is now Kishoreganj University, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University is now Bangladesh Digital University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Gopalganj is now Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University is now Aviation and Aerospace University Bangladesh, Jamalpur’s Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University is now Jamalpur Science and Technology University. Similar renamings have taken place in Gazipur, Shariatpur, Pirojpur, Narayanganj, Gopalganj, Chattogram, Meherpur, and other locations.
This follows a similar move in January, when the Yunus government renamed 14 medical colleges and hospitals, removing references to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina, and other family members. Bangladesh now has 55 government universities, including medical institutions.
Meanwhile, Khulna University has issued directives to rename 19 student halls and campus establishments that previously bore names of freedom fighters, scholars, Sufi saints, and members of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family.
The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall has been renamed Bir Sreshtha Mohammad Ruhul Amin Hall, while the Dr Satyendranath Basu Academic Hall is now Bijoy’ 24 Hall, referencing the August 5, 2024, student-led movement that led to the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Several establishments that previously bore the names of prominent Hindu scholars and intellectuals have also undergone changes. The Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy Central Laboratory, Dr Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta Residential Bhaban, Dr Sukharanjan Samaddar Residential Bhaban, and Dr Gobinda Chandra Deb Residential Bhaban have been renamed with more general designations such as Khulna University Central Laboratory, Professors’ Quarter, Associate Professors’ Quarter, and Assistant Professors’ Quarter, respectively. Similarly, Jibanananda Das Academic Bhaban has been renamed Academic Bhaban 3, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Basu Academic Bhaban is now Academic Bhaban 2, and Satyendranath Basu Academic Bhaban is called Academic Bhaban 1. The Lalan Sai Meeting Room has also been renamed TSC Bhaban.
The renaming spree follows the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5 last year. Under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, authorities have moved swiftly to remove the names of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family from universities, medical colleges, and other institutions.
Recently, the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement threatened to shut down Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur unless authorities reverted its name to Rangpur University within seven days. Similarly, six government-run medical colleges in Manikganj, Noakhali, Jamalpur, Tangail, Faridpur, and Dinajpur have been renamed following student-led demands.
The renaming of institutions has sparked mixed reactions across political and academic circles, with some viewing it as an effort to depoliticize educational institutions, while others see it as an erasure of historical figures from Bangladesh’s public memory.