BSS, Dhaka :
The country’s premier university-Dhaka University played an undaunting role since its establishment on July 1 nearly 100 years back, contributing to social progress, cultural expansion and politics of this soil.
The university, which started its journey with only a single female student, nowadays witnesses a scenario where female students are exceeding their male counterparts in getting chances for admission into the university, a significant milestone in women education.
“The Dhaka University played a pioneering role in expansion and flourishing of women education as well as women development in its long journey of nearly 100 years since its inspection in 1921,” noted academician Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique told BSS in an exclusive interview recently as the university marked its 99th founding anniversary.
Siddique, also a former Vice-Chancellor of DU, said when the country’s oldest and biggest seat of learning and first university in the then East Bengal started its journey, the number of female students was very few but now female students are almost half of its total students.
“In 1940s or 50s, there was a trend in the university that female students would enter the classroom after the teacher’s entrance and then male students would enter. After the end of classes, at first female students would leave the classroom and then teacher would come out followed by male students,” he said.
Citing some examples of social conservativeness during that period, the educationist said, even the proctorial rules of the university had a custom of making fine if male or female students would talk to their opposite genders.
Siddique, also a Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism at the DU, said conservative behavior and superstition were the way of the university students during that period.
“So, from that position, we have come to today’s position and the contributions of Dhaka University behind the remarkable change will never be denied,” he said adding that the university had also an extraordinary role in the field of politics.
The former Vice-Chancellor of DU said the university students had laid down their lives for attaining recognition for their mother tongue and its teachers and students embraced martyrdom unflinchingly to attain independence of their motherland.
The country’s premier university-Dhaka University played an undaunting role since its establishment on July 1 nearly 100 years back, contributing to social progress, cultural expansion and politics of this soil.
The university, which started its journey with only a single female student, nowadays witnesses a scenario where female students are exceeding their male counterparts in getting chances for admission into the university, a significant milestone in women education.
“The Dhaka University played a pioneering role in expansion and flourishing of women education as well as women development in its long journey of nearly 100 years since its inspection in 1921,” noted academician Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique told BSS in an exclusive interview recently as the university marked its 99th founding anniversary.
Siddique, also a former Vice-Chancellor of DU, said when the country’s oldest and biggest seat of learning and first university in the then East Bengal started its journey, the number of female students was very few but now female students are almost half of its total students.
“In 1940s or 50s, there was a trend in the university that female students would enter the classroom after the teacher’s entrance and then male students would enter. After the end of classes, at first female students would leave the classroom and then teacher would come out followed by male students,” he said.
Citing some examples of social conservativeness during that period, the educationist said, even the proctorial rules of the university had a custom of making fine if male or female students would talk to their opposite genders.
Siddique, also a Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism at the DU, said conservative behavior and superstition were the way of the university students during that period.
“So, from that position, we have come to today’s position and the contributions of Dhaka University behind the remarkable change will never be denied,” he said adding that the university had also an extraordinary role in the field of politics.
The former Vice-Chancellor of DU said the university students had laid down their lives for attaining recognition for their mother tongue and its teachers and students embraced martyrdom unflinchingly to attain independence of their motherland.
