Dhaka University’s brand new eight-storey maths building, AF Mujibur Rahman Ganit Bhaban, was inaugurated yesterday by DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique.
The foundation stone of the Tk28cr building, funded by the AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation, was laid on October 11, 2008. Engineers of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Dhaka University worked on the construction of the building.
The new building is situated next to the Science Annex Building. It has 15 classrooms, each fitted with multimedia equipment. There are also five computer labs, two libraries and a room each for seminar, hall, and teachers’ conference.
The foundation was established as a charitable trust in 1985 by the son of AF Mujibur Rahman, Rezaur Rahman FCA. It is engaged in a wide range of charitable activities. It supports a number of institutions but the emphasis is on education and substantial awards are made to the departments of mathematics at Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna and Rajshahi universities. It sponsors scholarships at the Institute of Business Administration (DU), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh and Gono Bishawabidyalay.
Since 2012, the foundation has been assisting the Bangladesh Mathematical Society to organise the Mathematics Olympiad.
The story behind the patronisation of the building goes back to 2007 when Rezaur Rahman, chairman of the foundation and elder son of the late AF Mujibur Rahman, was moved by a newspaper report on hindrances to academic activities due to a lack of infrastructure development at Dhaka University.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the DU vice-chancellor thanked the foundation for its benevolent contribution for the welfare of mathematics lovers of DU.
He said: “The university has decided to launch the applied mathematics department this year. Due to a shortage of infrastructure, department officials have had to suffer. But the newly built building will greatly help both departments.”
Recalling the brilliance of AF Mujibur Rahman, he said: “The knowledge and wisdom of Mujibur Rahman is an inspiration to all students. Students should be inspired to follow his path in education.”
AF Mujibur Rahman was born on September 23, 1897 in Faridpur. He obtained his masters degree in pure mathematics from Calcutta University in 1920, securing the first position in the first class and in the process surpassing the previous record mark achieved by Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee. He was the first Bengali Muslim ICS officer. He served in the judicial branch of the service including a stint as district judge of Dhaka in 1929-31. He died tragically of heart failure on 12 May, 1945 at the age of 48.
Speaking at the program, Professor Dr Md Abdus Samad said: “The maths building will intensify the opportunity for maths practice and experimental research of the students.”
He said the building has made it easy for the two departments, mathematics and applied mathematics, to run their activities.
Professor Dr Amulya Chandra Mandal, chairperson of the mathematics department, thanked the AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation and expressed gratitude for its outstanding dedication to the education sector.
Professor Dr Naila Kabeer, trustee of the AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation and also the grand-niece of Mujibur Rahman, thanked the concerned authorities who engaged in the construction work.
The Chairman of the Department of Mathematics Professor Dr Amulya Chandra Mandal presided over the function and Associate Mathematics Professor Dr Chandra Nath Podder conducted the program.
Among others, Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman, Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Editor of the Dhaka Tribune Zafar Sobhan, human rights activist Khushi Kabir and the chairpersons several departments and hall provosts of DU were present at the ceremony.
At the end of the inauguration ceremony, nine meritorious students of the maths department of Dhaka University (DU) were awarded AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation Gold Medals for their outstanding academic results in BS Honours and MS examinations. The foundation has been awarding meritorious students of DU since 1996 for excellence in mathematics.
Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique distributed the Gold Medals and trustee of the AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation, Professor Naila Kabeer, handed the awardees their certificates.
The awardees are: Farzana Islam (MS-Thesis), Sanjida Islam (MS-Non Thesis), Farhana Ahmed Simi (BS), Md Alomgir Hossain Badsha (MS-Non Thesis), Chinmayee Podder (MS-Thesis), Kamrun Naher (MS-Non Thesis), Kamrunaher (MS-Thesis), Md Lokman Hossen (MS-Non Thesis) and Shahenur Begum (MS-Thesis).