Cancel renaming of DU hall: AL

Opposition Awami League (AL) yesterday protested the decision of the Dhaka University Senate to rename the proposed Begum Sufia Kamal Hall as Begum Khaleda Zia Hall with a call to cancel its decision.

A meeting of the party's sub-committee for education and human resource development at AL's Dhanmondi office said the university authorities earlier decided to name a female dormitory after the name of poet Begum Sufia Kamal and it was awaiting for approval of the senate.

"Violating all norms, the senate on Tuesday took a decision to rename the hall after the incumbent Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. This is for the first time in the history of Dhaka University that a hall is being named after a living person," said a resolution of the meeting.

It said former prime minister Sheikh Hasina donated a piece of land adjacent to the Curzon Hall for constructing a dormitory for female students.

Later, a committee was formed to select a name for the hall and it was unanimously decided to name the hall after Begum Sufia Kamal, the statement added.

The meeting also expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in educational institutions due to politicisation, corruption and violence being resorted by the ruling party's student organisation.

Chaired by former DU vice-chancellor Prof AK Azad Chowdhury, the meeting was attended by Nurul Islam Nahid, Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof Harun-ur-Rashid, Shahe Alam and Bahadur Bapari.