University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Before Dhaka University was established, near its grounds were the former buildings of Dhaka College. In 1873 the college was relocated to Bahadur Shah Park. Later it shifted to Curzon Hall, which would become the first institute of the university.

The establishment of the university was a compensation of the annulment of the 1905 Partition of Bengal. The partition had established East Bengal and Assam as a separate province, with Dhaka as its capital. However, the partition was abolished in 1911 due to severe opposition from Indian National Congress and Bengali Hindus. To appease the people of East Bengal, Lord Curzon declared that a university as a center of excellence would be established in Dacca. Khwaja Salimullah, the Nawab of Dhaka, also played a pioneering role in establishing a university in Dhaka.

In 1913, public opinion was invited before the university scheme was given its final shape. The secretary of state approved it in December 1913. The first vice-chancellor of the university, Dr. Philip Joseph Hartog, formerly academic registrar of the University of London for 17 years was appointed.

Established in 1921 under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council, it is modelled after British universities. Honorable Chancellor Lord Ronaldshay was the Governor of Bengal between 1917 and 1922. He designated Nawaab Syed Shamsul Huda as a life member. On his recommendation, Lord Ronaldshay designated Sir Ahmad Fazlur Rahman as a provost, earlier he was in Aligarh Muslim University. Academic activities started on 1 July in 1921 with 847 Students along with 3 Faculties: Arts, Science and Law; 12 Departments: Sanskrit and Bengali, English, Education, History, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Persian and Urdu, Philosophy, Economics and Politics, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Law; 3 Dormitories for students: Salimullah Muslim Hall, Dacca Hall and Jagannath Hall.

In 1936, the university awarded honorary doctorate degress to Jagadish Chandra Bose, Jadunath Sarkar, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Allama Iqbal and Rabindranath Tagore.

The university played a significant role in the Bengali Language Movement, when Bengalis joined together to fight against Urdu being the official language in East Pakistan. Dhaka University was the main place where the movement started with the students joining together and protesting against the Pakistan government. Later countless students were massacred in where the Shaheed Minar stands today. After the incident, Bengali was restored as official language.

The University started its activities with 3 Faculties,12 Departments, 60 teachers, 877 students and 3 dormitories (Halls of Residence) for the students. At present the University consists of 13 Faculties, 77 Departments, 11 Institutes, 20 residential halls, 3 hostels and more than 51 Research Centres. The number of students and teachers has risen to about 37,064 and 1,885 respectively.

The University Library, housed in three separate buildings, is the biggest in Bangladesh. The library holds a collection of more than 617,000 volumes, including bound volumes of periodicals. In addition, it has a collection of over 30,000 manuscripts in other languages and a large number of microfilms, microfiche and CDs. It subscribes to over 300 foreign journals.

The Dhaka University Library comprises three buildings: The administrative building, the main library building, and the science library building. The administrative building has the administrative offices, a book acquisition section, a book processing section, a reprographic section, a book binding section, a manuscript section, and a seminar section.

Besides the Faculty of Business Studies of the university has an E-Library which is the largest in the Asia of its kind. This advanced level E-Library is connected with 35 internationally renowned libraries and publication houses in the world. Teachers, students and researchers are able to read all journals, books research papers and articles of these leading libraries, including the Dhaka University, Oxford University and Cambridge University libraries, by using the E-Library facilities.

The Medical Center of the University of Dhaka, near the Science Annex Building, offers free medical service and free pathological examinations to students, teachers and staff and also family members of the teachers and staffs. The centre provides service round the clock, seven days a week, with 30 doctors working in shifts. The centre has a dental unit, eye unit, X-ray department and two ambulances.

Dhaka University Affiliated Colleges

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