Revisiting Nawab Salimullah’s legacy through Isharat Manzil

More than a century after the founding of the University of Dhaka, the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) has published a commemorative volume seeking to revisit and reassess the legacy of Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur, one of the key figures behind the establishment of the university.

Titled Isharat Manzil, the book was published to mark Salimullah’s 154th birth anniversary. It has been edited by DUCSU Literature and Cultural Affairs Secretary Musaddiq Ali Ibn Mohammad.

The volume brings together research and analysis on Salimullah’s political vision, his role in the expansion of Muslim education and his contribution to the campaign that eventually led to the establishment of the University of Dhaka in 1921.

In the editorial, the editor argues that Salimullah’s contribution has remained inadequately recognised in institutional and historical discourse despite his role in advancing the cause of higher education in Eastern Bengal.

The book also examines the historic significance of Ishrat Manzil, which writers described as a major centre of Muslim political awakening in the subcontinent.

They said the historic site was not merely a building but a crucial political space associated with important developments in Muslim representation, education, and politics. Ishrat Manzil hosted the 1906 All India Muhammadan Educational Conference, during which the All-India Muslim League was established.

The commemorative volume also addresses what its contributors describe as historical silence and distortion surrounding Salimullah’s legacy, while encouraging readers to assess his role within the socio-political realities of his time.

DUCSU has also announced plans to establish a museum at the historic Ishrat Manzil to preserve and present the life and contributions of Salimullah to future generations.

Meanwhile, DUCSU has recently unveiled another publication, BarudmakhaKathamala, a compilation of speeches by martyred Sharif Osman Hadi. The 382-page book records 44 speeches by Hadi, adding another title to DUCSU’s recent publishing initiatives.