13 Universities to Drop Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina Names

Staff Reporter

The interim government has decided to rename 13 universities currently bearing the names of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina, and other family members.

Legal Advisor Asif Nazrul and Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Advisor Asif Mahmud shared this information on Thursday through their Facebook pages, along with a list of the universities’ previous and new names. However, they did not provide details about the reasons or processes behind the decision.

According to the shared information, the universities named after members of the Sheikh family have been renamed to reflect their respective districts or localities.

This move follows previous instances where names of medical colleges and hospitals featuring Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina were also changed.

Bangladesh currently has 55 public universities, including medical universities. Education Ministry officials noted that amending the universities’ names would require legal revisions to their respective acts.

Renamed Universities:

1. Sheikh Hasina University → Netrokona University
2. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University, Kishoreganj→ Kishoreganj University
3. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University, Naogaon → Naogaon University
4. Mujibnagar University → Meherpur University
5. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University → Gazipur Agricultural University
6. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Shariatpur Agricultural University → Shariatpur Agricultural University
7. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University → Bangladesh Digital University
8. Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University → Jamalpur Science and Technology University
9. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Pirojpur → Pirojpur Science and Technology University
10. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Narayanganj → Narayanganj Science and Technology University
11. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj → Gopalganj Science and Technology University
12. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University → Maritime University Bangladesh
13. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University → Aviation and Aerospace University, Bangladesh

The government has yet to explain the motives or implications of this renaming initiative, which is likely to spark public debate.