SAU opposes Secretariat shifting to its research field 

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) community has protested against a plan to relocate the Secretariat to its former research field, warning that the move could undermine agricultural research, damage the environment and threaten the area’s historical character.

Teachers and students formed a human chain and held a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital at 11:30am on Thursday, urging the authorities to reconsider the proposal.

At the press conference, university representatives said the British government acquired 268.82 acres of land in 1920 to establish the Bengal Agricultural Institute, the predecessor of the SAU. Of this land, 28.13 acres were later transferred for temporary use as an international trade fair venue during the rule of former president HM Ershad, allegedly without following proper procedures or adequately consulting teachers and students.

The university community said the site’s historical and aesthetic significance should be protected under relevant laws and planning regulations, including the Antiquities Act 1968, the Bangladesh National Building Code 2020 and the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2022�"2035.

They warned that constructing a large concrete complex for the Secretariat could destroy one of the capital’s important green spaces, increase local temperatures and disrupt the ecological balance.

University representatives said the SAU had been preparing to expand its higher agricultural education and research activities on the land after years of waiting. The proposed relocation has sparked concern among current students and around 50,000 former students, they added.