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University of Rajshahi

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Rajshahi University
The Logo of Rajshahi University
TypePublic
Established1953
Location
Rajshahi
,
Bangladesh
Websitewww.ru.ac.bd

Rajshahi University (Bangla: রাজশাহী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় Rajshahi Bishshobiddalôe) is a public university in Bangladesh. For a long time, it used to be the only center of higher studies in the northern part of the nation. Rajshahi University was established in 1953. It was the second university in what was then East Pakistan, after University of Dhaka. The campus was designed by architect John Zomanec.

Rajshahi University is located in Rajshahi, a city in Bangladesh. The area of the campus in 753 acres (303.80 hectors), making it one of the largest universities in the region. With 20,000 students and close to 1000 faculty members, it is also one of the largest universities of Bangladesh in terms of student population. In addition to degrees in arts, sciences and business, the university has a medical program through Rajshahi Medical College and also houses a number of institutes of higher studies.

History

Zuberi Guest house is named after the university's first Vice-Chancellor

The first proposal to establish a university came in 1917, when the Calcutta University created the Sadler commission to assess the need and feasibility for a university in northern and southern 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. It was felt a university should be established in the long deprived northern part of the East Pakistan. Demands for a university gained momentum when two further universities were established in West Pakistan without the establishment of any in the east, with Rajshahi College students at the forefront of the movement. Finally, Rajshahi was selected as the home for the second university in East Pakistan. Itrat Hossain Juberi, 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, a 16th century Dutch establishment. The university satretd with 20 faculty, 161 students (of which 5 were female) and six departments - Bengali, English, History, Law, Philosophy and Economics. In 1964, the offices moved to its permanent 746 acre campus.

The 1960s was a turbulent period in the history of Bangladesh, where demands for autonomy of East Pakistan was becoming stronger. The faculty and students of the university started playing an increasing role during this period. In February 18, 1969, Shamsuzzoha, a professor of the university was killed by the police when he tried to prevent them from shooting agitating students. This event is now commemorated as Teacher's Day in Bangladesh. During the 1971 war, the university campus was used as a base by the Pakistan Army.

Campus

Art and Architecture

Shabash Bangladesh (literally Bravo Bangladesh, commemorates the Bangladesh Liberation War

Along with the city of Rajshahi that houses it, Rajshahi University is home to many important architectural achievements in Bangladesh. The university itself is well known for its beauty and unity of design. Important monuments and buildings include:

  • The Martyr's Monument. Also has a beautiful mural designed by Murataza Bashir.
  • The University Mosque
  • Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium, the central auditorium with modern light-reflection and audio-visual facilities.
  • The University Library: Second largest library in Bangladesh with a magnificient structure. It locates in the north-west side of the Administration building.
  • Barendra Museum
  • The Senate House: A modern airconditioned mini-parliament house, usually used for meeting the "Senate" of the university, but it also accomodates national and international conferences, seminars and symposiums. The house has a modern audio system with 206 seats.
  • Shabash Bangladesh,Bangladesh Liberation War memorial sculpture, the largest in the nation; designed and constructed by famous artist Nitun Kundu. It is located in the south compound of the Senate House. An open theater is attached with its floating downwards.
  • Golden Jubilee Tower, a recent architecture established commemorating the golden jubilee of the university.

The Department of Fine Arts boasts a nice collection of contemporary art, while Barendra Museum has a very impressive collection of ancient and medieval art.

The martyr monument is perhaps the most well known landmark in the University

Facilities

The Rajshahi University library system is the second largest in the nation, second only to that of University of Dhaka. The central library of the university has a collection of 250,000 books and journals of 2000 titles. In addition to the central library, there are seminar libraries in all institutes, departments and dormitories.

The physical education department of the university has 27 instructors, 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.

Academics

Faculties

The Third Science building houses biological sciences

The University of Rajshahi has following 8 Faculties and 47 Departments:

  • Faculty of Arts (Established in 1953)

Departments: Philosophy (1953), History (1954), English (1954), Bangla (1955), Islamic History and Culture (1956), Language (1962), Arabic (1978), Fine Arts (1994), Islamic Studies (1995), Folklore (1998), Dramatics and Music (2000)

  • Faculty of Law (Established in 1953)

Department: Law and Justice (1953)

  • Faculty of Science(Established in 1956)

Departments: Mathematics (1954), Physics (1958), Chemistry (1958), Statistics (1961), Applied Physics and Electronics (1966), Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology (1966), Biochemistry and Microbiology (1976), Pharmacy (1990), Computer Science and Engineering (1993), Population Science and Human Resource Development (1996), Information and Communication Engineering (2000), Applied Mathematics (2002), Materials Science and Technology (2004)

  • Faculty of Medicine (Established in 1958)

Faculty of Medicine comprises of Rajshahi Medical College, Rangpur Medical College, Khulna Medical College, Bogra Medical College and Dinajpur Medical College. Principal of Rajshai Medical College coordinates as the Ex-Officio Dean of the Medical Faculty.

  • Faculty of Business Studies (Established in 1972)

Departments: Accounting and Information System (1972), Management (1972), Marketing (1981), Finance and Banking (1981)

  • Faculty of Social Sciences (Established in 1985)

Departments: Economics (1954), Political Science (1963), Social Works (1964), Sociology (1969), Mass-communication (1992), Library and Information Science (1993), Public Administration (1993), Anthropology (1998)

  • Faculty of Life and Earth Sciences (Established in 1986)

Departments: Geography and Environmental Studies (1955), Psychology (1956), Botany (1963), Zoology (1972), Geology and Mining (1975)

  • Faculty of Agriculture (Established in 2000)

Departments: Genetics and Breeding (1996), Agronomy and Agricultural Extension (2000), Fisheries (2000), Animal Husbandry and Vetenary Science (2004), Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology and Statistics (2005)

Institutes

The University has five institutes for higher studies:

  • The Institute of Bangladesh Studies (Established in 1974)
  • The Institute of Biological Sciences ( Established in 1989)
  • The Institute of Business Administration ( Established in 2000)
  • The Institute of Environmental Sciences (Established in 2000)
  • The Institue of Education and Research (Established in 2000)

Degrees Offered

Honours: BA, BSc, BSc Agriculture, BSc Fisheries, BSS, BBA, BFA, BFarm, LLB

Masters: MA, MSc, MSc Agriculture, MSc Fisheries MSS, MBA, MFA, MFarm, LLM

Professonal: MBBS, BDS, MS, MD, DCH, DVM

Higher Studies: MPhil, MBA, PhD, MPh, DOrth, DGO

Others: Certificate in Language, Diploma in General Sericulture

Student life

Housing

The universit has 5 residential halls for women, and 11 for men.


01. Sher-e-Bangla A.K.Fazlul Haque Hall, 02. Shah Makhdum Hall, 03. Nabab Abdul Latif Hall, 04. Sayed Amir Ali Hall, 05. Shahid Shamsuzzoha Hall, 06. Shahid Habibur Rahman Hall, 07. Motihar Hall, 08. Madar Bakhsha Hall, 09. Shahid Suhrawardy Hall, 10. Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall and 11. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall


01. Monnuzan Hall, 02. Begum Rokeya Hall, 03. Taposee Rabeya Hall, 04. Begum Khaleda Zia Hall and fifth one is under construction

Activities

Notable faculty and alumni

Faculty (Past and present)

  • Shamsuzzoha, Dr. Shamsuzzoha, the then Proctor and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Department embraced martyrdom on February 18, 1969, when Pakistani military opened fire on him in front of the main gate premises following an 11 point demand against the autocratic Pakistani military regime. Commemorating that day, every year, February 18 is observed as "National Teachers Day" in Bangadesh. Dr. Zoha is the first martyred intellectual in the freedom movement of Bangladesh. During the "Bangladesh Liberation War", over 50 teachers, students and staffs sacrificed their lives in the hands of Pakistani forces and their native collaborator Razakar, Al-Badar and Al-Shams paramilitia forces.
  • Muhammad Shahidullah
  • Abdul Karim Tarkobisharod
  • Hasan Azizul Huq, Eminent Writer
  • Salahuddin Ahmed, Historian
  • Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, Literature
  • Khan Sarwar Murshid, Literature

Alumni

  • Md. Habibur Rahman, Former Chief Justice, Former Head of the Care-taker Government and Writer

References

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