Students from a faction of the Jahangirnagar Sanskritik Jote (Cultural Alliance) have called for the reinstatement of the name Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall at Jahangirnagar University.
They have formally submitted a memorandum to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, to press their demand.
The Vice-Chancellor confirmed the submission of the memorandum on Wednesday morning.
According to university sources, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 of last year, a group of students began demanding the removal of the names of various campus establishments associated with members of the Sheikh family.
On February 5 this year, students erased the nameplates of four residential halls and urged the university syndicate to officially rename these buildings.
Subsequently, on March 17, the syndicate decided to cancel the names of Sheikh Rasel Hall, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, Sheikh Hasina Hall, and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall. The university later sought name proposals from various stakeholders for renaming these facilities.
As part of this process, the Jahangirnagar Cultural Alliance (a faction) submitted their proposals to the Vice-Chancellor, including a strong request to restore the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall.
In the memorandum signed by Faiza Mehjabin, president of the student organization, it was stated that the 1971 Liberation War and the July Movement were driven by the same spirit of emancipation.
The students argued that attempting to present these two pivotal historical events as rivals or opposites, and disregarding the contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — the leader under whom Bangladesh achieved independence — is a reflection of the mindset of fallen authoritarian regimes.
They emphasized that such efforts ultimately serve the interests of those who seek to undermine the spirit of national liberation, which they, as defenders of freedom across all eras, cannot accept.
The students also proposed new names for the remaining three residential halls whose names were previously revoked.
