Academicians, writers and other speakers at a discussion on Saturday stated that Dhaka University had now lost its pride amid socio-political crises, despite its critical role in building a nation state.
They also said that the students, teachers and other staff of the university in the past always led the social and political movements, while a university鈥檚 conventional role was to create and distribute knowledge.聽
Their remarks came at the launch of a book titled 鈥楧haka Bishwabidyalay: Itihase, Smritite鈥� (Dhaka University in history and memory) by Serajul Islam Choudhury at the Bangladesh National Museum in Dhaka city, organised by its publisher Bengal Books.
Held at the national museum鈥檚 Sufia Kamal Auditorium, Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, writer-translator Professor Khaliquzzman Elias, writer-researcher Kazi Samio Shish, The Daily Star editor and publisher Mahfuz Anam, writer Ahmad Mostafa Kamal, actor-writer Khairul Alam Shabuj, among others, spoke at the event chaired by Professor Firdous Azim.聽
Serajul Islam Choudhury said that the university lost its pride not only for its own faults, but also due to the socio-political crisis that had gripped the nation.
The state of primary education and the country鈥檚 entire development scenario were almost baseless, Serajul Islam said, adding, 鈥榯he social dignity of the teachers is very poor.鈥�
He also said that knowledge was not valuable anymore in the capitalist world where students studied predominantly for jobs.
The recent student-led mass uprising stemmed from the movement for government jobs, he also remarked.
Mahfuz Anam said that the book described the role of Dhaka University at the birth of Bangladesh and described how a university should function ideally.
鈥楢fter the war of independence, the recruitment of vice-chancellors and their roles to protect the teachers and students were a total failure,鈥� said Mahfuz Anam.
Presenting a brief description of the book, writer Ahmad Mostafa Kamal said, 鈥楾he British rulers established universities to create a subservient class, but Dhaka University always played an anti-regime role in its history that led to building a nation state.鈥�
Quoting from AG Stock鈥檚 writings, he also said that the student movements of the university were based on social dissatisfaction, and not merely on student related issues.聽聽聽
Khaliquzzman Elias remarked that through the book Serajul Islam Choudhury highlighted the intention of forming Calcutta University which was established by the British colonial government in January 1857, months before the Sepoy Mutiny broke out in May, pointing out that students and soldiers belonged to separate classes.
