Dhaka, Jan 9: In a move that has triggered widespread controversy, authorities at Bangladesh’s Dhaka University have decided to rename Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall after Sharif Osman Hadi, a radical Islamist leader who was shot dead in the capital last month. The hall is proposed to be renamed “Osman Hadi Hall,” according to local media reports.
In a similar decision, Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Hall, named after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s wife, is set to be renamed “Captain Sitara Parvin Hall.” The decisions were reportedly taken during a meeting of the university’s highest policy-making body, the Syndicate, held on Thursday and chaired by Vice-Chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan.
Confirming the development, Dhaka University Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that the Syndicate has forwarded the proposals to the Senate, which will take the final decision. “The Syndicate does not make the final decision. The process is moving forward, and one step has been completed,” he said.
The move comes amid growing concerns over attacks on symbols and heritage linked to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Following Hadi’s death on December 18, the hall union reportedly removed the original nameplate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall and replaced it with one bearing Osman Hadi’s name. Students were also seen painting over a mural of Mujibur Rahman on the hall’s main building.
Reports said that after news of Hadi’s death broke, his supporters vandalised properties across Bangladesh, targeting minorities, cultural institutions, media houses and Indian High Commission offices.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka University Syndicate has also framed charges against four teachers affiliated with the pro-Awami League Blue Panel, initiating proceedings that could lead to their dismissal. They have been asked to respond to show-cause notices within a week.
Bangladesh has recently witnessed a deterioration in law and order under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, with increasing concerns over political interference in academic institutions, shrinking academic freedom and attacks on dissenting voices.
