রাজশাহী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় or
Rajshahi
University (Bengali:
রাজশাহী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় Raajshaahi Bish-shobid-daloy) is a public university
located in Rajshahi, a city in north-western Bangladesh. University
of Rajshahi was established in
1953, the second university to be established in what was then East
Pakistan.
The university's 58 departments are organized into nine faculties. Rajshahi
University is located in a 753
acres (3 km
2) campus in Motihar, 3 kilometres (2 mi) from
the Rajshahi city center. With 25,000 students and close to 1000 academic
staff, it is one of the largest universities in Bangladesh.
[3]
In addition to hosting programs in the Engineering, arts, sciences, agriculture,
social sciences, business studies and medical sciences, the university houses a
number of institutes of higher studies. This is the premier university in Bangladesh
to have online subscription of world-renowned journals.
History
 |
| The Shaheed Minar |
Zuberi Guest house is named after the university's first
vice-chancellor
The description on the memorial says,"Rajshahi
University: Those who were martyred
during the Liberation war".
The first proposal to establish a university came in 1917, when Calcutta
University created the Sadler Commission
[citation needed] to
assess the university system in Bengal. However, the recommendations of the
report had no immediate consequences.
Following the Partition of India in 1947, what is now Bangladesh
became East Pakistan. University
of Dhaka, established in 1921, was
the only university in East Pakistan at the time. Demand
for a university in the northern part of East Pakistan
gained momentum when two universities were established in West
Pakistan without the establishment of any in the east. Students of
Rajshahi College
were at the forefront of the movement demanding a new university.
[4]
Finally, Rajshahi was selected as the home for the second university in East
Pakistan and the Rajshahi University Act of 1953 (East Bengal Act
XV of 1953) was passed by the East Pakistan provincial
Assembly on 31 March 1953.
[5]
Itrat Hossain Zuberi, the Principal of Rajshahi College was appointed the first
Vice-Chancellor of the university. Initially, the university was housed in
temporary locations, such as the local Circuit House and
Bara Kuthi, an
18th-century Dutch establishment. B B Hindu Academy, a local school, housed the
library, teachers' lounge and the medical centre of the university. The
university started out with 20 professors, 161 students (of which 5 were
female) and six departments—Bengali, English, History, Law, Philosophy and
Economics. In 1964, the offices moved to the permanent campus.
The 1960s was a turbulent period in the history of Bangladesh,
when demands for East Pakistani autonomy became stronger. The students and
staff of the university started playing an increasing role in politics during
this period. On 18 February 1969,
Shamsuzzoha, a professor of the university was killed by the police when he tried
to prevent them from shooting student demonstrators.
[6]
This date is now commemorated as Zoha Day.
[7]
During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, the university campus was used as
a base by the Pakistan Army. A number of professors, students and officers of
the university were killed by the Pakistan
army during this period.
After independence, a new act regarding the administration of the university
came into being—the Rajshahi University Act of 1973. The post-independence
years saw the university grow steadily in student enrollment and size of the
academic staff. However, the 1980s were turbulent years for the university, as
the students agitated with other institutions of the country against the
military rule of Hossain Muhammad Ershad. Since early 1990s, the university
have seen relative calm and lowering of session backlogs, though active student
politics remains a contentious issue to date.
Emblem
The current emblem of the university was also selected. The circle of the
emblem represents the world. An open book is shown in red and gold, red
representing one of the colors of the national flag, and gold the value of
education. The body of the book is blue, the color of the sky, and at the
centre is a
shapla flower (Nymphaeaceae), the national flower of Bangladesh.
Campus
Main campus
 |
| The Academic Building |
The administrative building dominates the main entrance to
the university
Shabash Bangladesh
commemorates the Bangladesh Liberation War
The Shaheed Minar is perhaps the most well known landmark in
the University
The university's main campus is located in Motihar, on the eastern side of
the city of Rajshahi and a mile
from the river Padma.
[5]
The campus area is nearly 753 acres (3.05 km
2). Access to the
walled-off university campus is controlled through three security gates. The
campus houses eleven large academic buildings—five for the arts, business
studies and social sciences, four for the sciences and two for agricultural
studies.
The central part of the university, accessible by the main gate, is
dominated by the administrative building, where the offices of the Vice-Chancellor
and other officials are located. This is flanked by the senate building and the
residence of the Vice-Chancellor on one side (also featuring the famous
Shabash
Bangladesh sculpture) and the university mosque and Shaheed Minar complex
on the other.
[8]
Behind the administrative building is the central library, around which the
four science buildings and three main arts buildings are located. The science
buildings are named numerically as the "First
Science Building"
and so on. The arts buildings are named respectively after Muhammad Shahidullah,
Momtazuddin Ahmed and Rabindranath Tagore. More towards the east lie the
stadium, the new teacher-student centre and the main auditorium.
The Kazla gate provides access to the south-western part of the campus. The
Juberi international guest-house, Rajshahi
University School
and the main residential facilities for the academic staff and university
officers are located here.
[8]
Near the residential areas are all five dorms (known as residential halls) for
female students. The eastern part of the campus houses the Institute
of Bangladesh Studies,
[9]
the medical and sports facilities and more residential facilities for the
university staff—but is dominated by the eleven large dormitories for male
students. From the Binodpur gate, the residential halls named after Nawab Abdul
Latif, Shamsuzzoha and Madarbux are located to the north, while Sher-e-Bangla
hall and the oldest dorm Motihar Hall
[10]
lie to the west.
[11]
The second largest mass graves in Bangladesh
from the 1971 war era is located behind Shamsuzzoha Hall.
[12]
The campus contains a quite a few mango orchards. The Rajshahi area is
regarded as one of the best mangoe producing areas in the country,
[13]
and these orchards are leased out to professional farmers during the summer,
when the fruits grow. The campus also reflects the region's silk industry,
fields of mulberry trees are to be seen in the campus, both for agricultural
and research needs. The northern part of the campus houses a botanical garden,
which has a good collection of rare plants.
Other facilities
 |
| Computer Training centre |
Varendra Museum
is the oldest in the nation and an important resource for the university
A few miles from the main campus is the Varendra
Research Museum,
[14]
one of the richest repertory of Bengal sculptures in the
world.
[15]
Established in 1910 by Ramaprasad Chanda, the museum became a part of the
university in 1960s when a financial crisis threatened its existence. Under the
university, the museum has thrived, adding an folklore gallery to its
impressive collection from ancient and medieval Bengal.
[14]
The Bara Kuthi, where the university was established is also still under
university control, and is located on the Padma not too far away from Varendra
Museum. The university has an
agricultural facility few miles from the main campus. Rajshahi
University maintains other facilities
across the country including a guesthouse in the capital city, Dhaka.
Architecture
University of Rajshahi
is home to many architectural and artistic landmarks, which area is about almost
304 hectors. The Shaheed Minar is an important example, complete with a mural
designed by Murtaza Bashir. The Senate House is a modern mini-parliament house,
has 206 rooms and fully air-condHitioned, usually used for meetings of the
senate of the university, but it also accommodates national and international
conferences, seminars and symposiam.
[citation needed] In front of
the Senate House is Shabash Bangladesh, one of the largest
war memorial sculptures in the nation;
designed and constructed by Nitun Kundu.
[16]
The name comes from a poem by Sukanta Bhattacharya of the same name, the last
four lines of which is engraved under the structure. Golden
Jubilee Tower,
a 2003 addition to the university's array of sculptures, commemorates the
university's 50th anniversary. It can easily found just right beside the main
gate. It has also an open theater and two beautiful murals. Other well-known
buildings include the library and the university mosque.
[citation needed] The Department
of Fine Arts hosts a sizable collection of contemporary art, while Varendra
Museum has a large collection of
ancient and medieval art.
[17]
Organization and administration
 |
| Library of University |
The university is run according to the Rajshahi University Act of 1973.
[18]
The act, passed in 1973, allows the university considerably more autonomy than
most other peer institutions. The president of Bangladesh
is the de facto Chancellor of the university, but his role is mainly
ceremonial. The highest official after the Chancellor is the Vice-Chancellor,
selected by the senate of the university every four years. The Vice-Chancellor,
as of 2016, is Professor Muhammad Mizanuddin. Other important officers of the
university include the Pro Vice Chancellor, the registrar, the controller of
examinations and the proctor.
[18]
The proctor is in direct charge of student activities and is the official with
most direct contact with the students. The most important statutory bodies of
the university are the senate, the academic council and the syndicate.
[18]
As a public institution, most of Rajshahi
University's funding comes from the
government. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the body responsible for
allocating funds to all public universities.
Students are admitted after they pass the Higher Secondary Exam (HSC exam).
In earlier days students partake in entrance examinations, a separate one for
each department. But now students need to partake under unit of different
faculty.
[19]
This has been a contentious issue,
[20]
as there used to be only one exam for each faculty, after which students would
be allocated to departments according to their result and choice of program. As
a public university, University of Rajshahi's
tuition fees are relatively low; nevertheless, a hike in admission fees, during
the 2006–07 session, have drawn criticism from student bodies.
[21]
As of 2007, the university awards a total of 340 scholarships, whose annual value
is around 1.1 million taka. In addition, there are merit awards given by
residential halls, departments and the university itself. Students are also
eligible for the Prime Minister's Gold Medal award.
[22]
All colleges of the northern and southern regions of the country used to be
affiliated with University of Rajshahi.
However, the administration of colleges across the country was taken over by
the National University
when it was established in 1992.
[23]
Faculties
 |
| The Administration Faculty |
Faculties of the university
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Social Science
- Faculty of Business Studies
- Faculty of Life & Earth Science
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Medicine
|
The Faculty of Engineering: Krishnachura blossoms in front
of the First Science building, that houses Physics, Applied Physics &
Electronics, and Information & Communication Engineering
|
Momtazuddin Arts Building houses some departments of the Faculty of Arts
|
The university's 58 departments are organized into 9 faculties: Engineering,
Arts, Law, Science, Medicine, Business Studies, Social Sciences, Life and Earth
Sciences, and Agriculture.
[24]
The Arts and the Law faculties are the oldest in the university, both
established in 1953, closely followed by the Faculty of Science (1956) and
newly the Faculty of Engineering (2009). The university's departments represent
the traditional studies in arts, commerce, sciences and engineering through
programs in History, Languages and Linguistics, Economics, Business Studies, Mathematics,
Applied Mathematics (est.2002), Physics, Computer Science & Engineering, Chemistry,
Statistics, Geology & Mining, Geography, Psychology, Zoology, Botany, etc.
The university is increasingly emphasizing on more specialized programs such as
Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Information and Communication Engineering (ICE)(est.
2000) or Genetics and breeding (est. 1996).
[4]
The Faculty of Engineering includes departments in Information and
Communication Engineering (ICE)(est. 2000), Computer Science & Engineering,
Applied Physics & Electronic Engineering, and Applied Chemistry & Chemical
Engineering. In the late 1990 and 2000s, programs in computer engineering and
communication engineering were introduced. The university used to have a
separate engineering program through BIT (Bangladesh Institute of Technology)
Rajshahi, which has become an independent university being renamed Rajshahi
University of Engineering & Technology in 2002.
The Faculty of Arts includes departments in languages and linguistics
(Bengali, English, Arabic), historical studies (History, Islamic History and
Culture), Philosophy and Fine Arts. In the late 1990s, programs in Theater,
Music and Folklore were introduced.
The Faculty of Social Science has programs in Sociology, Social Work, Anthropology,
Economics, Political Science and media-related studies.
[25]
The Faculty of
Law
consists only of the Department of Law.
The departments; Finance and Banking, Management Studies, Marketing and
Accounting & Information Systems make up the Faculty of Business Studies.
All facilities of these three faculties are located in the three arts
buildings.
The four science buildings house the Faculty of Engineering, Science and the
Faculty of Life and Earth Science. The former has programs in Physics, Applied
Physics & Electronics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science,
Chemistry, Psychology, Applied Chemistry, Material Science & Engineering,
Biochemistry, and Information & Communication Engineering.
[25]
Prominent departments in the faculty of Life and Earth Sciences include
Zoology, Botany, Geography, Pharmacy, and Genetics & Breeding; these are
all housed in the third science building. Department of Geology & Mining is
situated in the second science building.
Founded in 2000, the Faculty of Agriculture is the newest addition to the
university, and was formed when a local agricultural college was absorbed into
the university. The Faculty has programs in Fisheries, Genetic Engineering, Agronomy,
Crop Science and Veterinary sciences.
[25]
Faculty of Medicine is organized differently from other disciplines. Medical
education is provided by seven medical colleges located around the Rajshahi and
Khulna Division. Though these colleges are autonomous to a large extent, the
degrees are conferred by Rajshahi University.
Rajshahi Medical
College is the oldest medical
college under administration of the university and is located a few miles west
of the university campus along with a highly equipped large hospital.
Student life
Housing
The university has sixteen residential halls for students, five for women and
eleven for men. The residential halls are named after prominent Bangladeshi
historical and cultural figures, some of them from Rajshahi. The largest men's
hall is Shahid Habibur Rahman Hall, named after a mathematics professor killed
on campus during the 1971 war by the Pakistani Army. The largest women's hall
is Monnujan Hall, followed by Begum Rokeya Hall, named after Rokeya Sakhawat
Hussain, a leading figure in women's rights activism in Bengal.
[citation needed] The housing
system can accommodate 8,000 students, which has created a deepening
accommodation crisis as the student body has risen to 25,000.
[26]
Apart from the seat limitations, the amenities of these halls do not always
meet decent accommodation standards.
[27]
This has led to the establishment of many privately owned off-campus "messes".
The residential halls provide meals, which are subsidised by the university
authorities.
Name of Halls of Rajshahi University
|
No
|
Name of Halls
|
Name of Provosts
|
PABX Telephone
|
|
01
|
Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Haque
|
|
4191
|
|
02
|
Shah Makhdum
|
M.Zahangir Alam
|
4193
|
|
03
|
Nawab Abdul Latif
|
|
4195
|
|
04
|
Syed Amir Ali
|
Golam Mortuza
|
4194
|
|
05
|
Shahid Shamsuzzoha
|
M. Belal Hossain
|
4196
|
|
06
|
Shahid Habibur Rahman
|
M. Fazlul Haque
|
4200
|
|
07
|
Motihar
|
Afrouzzaman Khan Chowdhury
|
4192
|
|
08
|
Madar Baksh
|
M. Abdur Rahim Khan
|
4198
|
|
09
|
Shahid Sohrawardi
|
M. Abdul Latif
|
4197
|
|
10
|
Shahid Ziaur Rahman
|
A.N.M. Zahangir Kabir
|
4199
|
|
11
|
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
|
Mohd. Nurul Islam
|
4190
|
|
12
|
Monnujan
|
Irin Banu Luci
|
4204
|
|
13
|
Begum Rokeya
|
Nazma Afroz
|
4202
|
|
14
|
Tapashi Rabeya
|
Hosne Ara Jesmin
|
4201
|
|
15
|
Begum Khaleda Zia
|
Salma Banu
|
4203
|
|
16
|
Rahamatunnesa
|
Mele Jesmin
|
4205
|
|
17
|
Bongomata Sheikh Fazilatun-nesa
|
|
|
Activities
The physical education department of the university has 27 instructors and
is equipped with a 25,000-seat stadium, 2 gymnasiums, 1 swimming pool, 4 football
grounds, 1 hockey ground, 4 tennis courts, 2 basketball courts and a squash
court. The Teacher Students
Center was designed to be the
center of cultural activities of the university. Reception of fresh students,
celebration of national holidays as well as the annual cultural competition are
key cultural events at the university campus.
[18]
The university is home to recitation groups like
Shwanan, and drama
groups like
Anushilon and Rajshahi University Drama Association (RUDA).
[28]
A vibrant fine arts scene thrives around the Department of Fine arts, and the
campus hosts a number of exhibitions each year. The university has branches of
all major national cultural groups, including Udichi and
Gono Natto
Shongstha.
[citation needed]
During the three major national days, Language Movement Day (February 21), Independence
Day (March 26) and Victory Day (December 16), the university hosts public
meetings, cultural programs and political activities. On these days, students
and teachers, going barefoot, congregate around the Shaheed Minar and pay their
respect. During the major Muslim religious occasions of Eid, the university is
usually deserted as students go home to be with their families. Other
religiously important days like Shabe-barat are observed through discussions
and religious activities. The major Hindu festival celebrated in the university
is Saraswati Puja—Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, is worshiped in a
central location as well as individually in many residential halls.
[citation
needed] The Bengali new year,
Pohela Baisakh is also observed
with much pomp.
[29]
