Bangladesh: Khulna University omits names of Prafulla Chandra Ray, Jagadish Chandra Bose from various installations

The decision was taken during a syndicate meeting.

However, students, poets and civil society members have criticised the action.

Protests

Wahiduddin Mahmud, education adviser of the interim government, said the decision left him disheartened.

“We have been hearing stories about Jagadish Chandra Bose since our childhood. There were buildings and installations in his name in the Khulna University. The names have been changed. There was a building in the name of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy. Names of several other installations have been changed. I am quite disheartened by this,” he was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo.

“It’s beyond my imagination that the name of a building named after Jagadish Chandra Bose can be changed. I hope the university authority and the students will find a solution,” Wahiduddin Mahmud said.

BNP Leader Slams Move

Speaking about the issue, BNP national executive committee assistant organising secretary Jayanta Kundu, tld the newspaper, “It’s natural that names of pro-fascist people will be removed after the mass uprising. But I want to ask the KU vice chancellor that by whose power you dare to remove the names of Lalon Sai, Jibanananda Das, Satyendranath Bose and Jagadish Chandra Bose. Today or tomorrow, you will have to answer that.”

Eminent educationist and Socheton Nagorik Committee (Sonak) Khulna president professor Anwarul Kadir told Prothom Alo, “In a word, such an incident shows their low taste and low mentality. It’s unbelievable that university teachers could bear such a mentality.”

Name Changes

The name of Syed Nazrul Islam administrative building was changed to honour the university's first vice chancellor Golam Rahman.

"Similarly, the name of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall was changed into Bir Shreshtha Mohammad Ruhul Amin Hall, Bangamata Fazilatunnessa Hall into Bijay 24 Hall, the name of Satyendranath Basu Academic Building was changed to Academic Building-1, Jagadish Chandra Academic Building into Academic Building-2, Poet Jibanananda Das Academic Building into Academic Building-3 and the name of the Joy Bangla Building was changed to Academic Building-4," Prothom Alo reported.

Student Reacts

English discipline student Ayman Ahad told Prothom Alo: "We asked to rename only the buildings and installations that have been named after political personalities. However, the authorities changed the names of several buildings and installations named after non-political personalities, which was not taken well by the students.”

“The university administration should take the decision again after considering the opinion of the students,” he added.

Bangladesh witnessed a political uprising last year amid widespread protests against a job quota issue that led to the fall of former PM Sheikh Hasina-led regime on August 5, 2024.

Hasina fled to India amid severe protests against her.