Rajshahi University (RU), the second largest university of the country, had played an important role in the struggle for an independent Bangladesh, apart from its great achievement in education and research.
RU teachers, officials and students carried on a very tough fight to free the country from enemies, during the independence war.
The Shabash Bangladesh Chhattar, martyr archives, mass grave, and tombs of Dr. Shamsuzzoha, Sukhrojjon Samaddar, Meer Abdul Qaiyum and Shaheed Habibur Rahman and presence of existing freedom fighters make the campus glorious one.
After its establishment in 1953, one year into the Great Language Movement, the RU has been vociferous in all national issues.
The students and teachers of RU have always been conscious to resisting all injustices. They never lag behind to play vital roles in different democratic movements.
For instance, their movement for the cancellation of the report of disputed education commission of 1962, mass uprising of 1969 for democracy and above all active participation in the war of liberation in 1971 are remarkable in the history of the country.
The RU’s contribution to independence war began from the mass upsurge in 1969 that aimed at protesting the illegal and unlawful tyranny of the Aiyub Khan. Since then the students of this university became furious.
The students of the university brought out a protest procession, on February 18, 1969. As the police taking preparation to shoot at the procession, Dr. Shamsuzzoha, the proctor and professor of the chemistry department, laid down his life to save the students from the attacking police. Dr Zoha is the country’s first martyred intellectual.
Besides, three other teachers of RU embraced martyrdom to free the country from Pak army in liberation war in 1971. The martyred teachers are Prof. Meer Abdul Qaiyum of psychology department, Prof. Shukhranjon Samaddar of language department and Prof. Habibur Rahman of department of mathematics.
Earlier, On 14 April in 1971, the Pakistani military entered the university campus. They first stationed their headquarters at the Rajshahi University guesthouse Juberi Bhavan. Later, they shifted headquarters to Dr. Zoha hall which was used as a concentration camp until the Pak retreat on December 18 night, 1971.
All the freedom loving and peace loving people were whisked away by the army and their collaborators and kept into Zoha hall for torturing to death. From the RU base, the Pakistani army led their destructive activities in nearby areas.
To pay tribute and recall contribution of these martyrs, the university authorities set up several monuments and a museum on the campus.
The RU authorities established Shaheed Smriti Sangrahashala in 1972 which is the first museum of the country on the liberation war. After the independence, on April 23, 1972, a mass grave was discovered which was the largest in the country.
Later in 2003, the university authorities built a mass graveyard monument to pay respect to the martyrs on the east side of the campus.
Although Dr. Shamsuzzoha’s graveyard is well decorated and located in front of the administrative building of Rajshahi University, there is no memorial for many unsung heroes on the campus.
AIMD
