A group of students from the Jahangirnagar Cultural Alliance has demanded the reinstatement of the name Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall at Jahangirnagar University (JU).
They submitted a memorandum regarding the matter to Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, who confirmed the submission on Wednesday afternoon.
In the memorandum signed by Faiza Mehjabeen, president (of one faction) of the Jahangirnagar Cultural Alliance, it is stated: "The Liberation War of 1971 and the July uprising stem from the same spirit of emancipation. ’71 and ’24 are not rivals but represent the same consciousness of freedom.
"Therefore, to deny a significant figure like Bangabandhu—under whose leadership Bangladesh triumphed in the 1971 Liberation War—and to attempt to pit ’71 and ’24 against each other is, in fact, reflective of a dictatorial regime's mindset. Such an attempt will ultimately favor the fallen dictatorship, which we, who honor the collective spirit of liberation from ’71 to ’24, cannot allow."
Additionally, the memorandum includes the organization’s proposals for renaming three other establishments.
According to university and student sources, after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, a group of students demanded the renaming of various campus establishments named after members of the Sheikh family.
Subsequently, on February 5 this year, they removed the nameplates of four residential halls and called on the university syndicate to assign new names.
Later, the syndicate annulled the names of Sheikh Russel Hall, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, Sheikh Hasina Hall, and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall on March 17.
Recently, the university authorities invited suggestions for new names of these establishments from various stakeholders.
As part of this process, the cultural organization Jahangirnagar Cultural Alliance submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor.
