Dhaka University: A Legacy of Influence Amidst Stagnant Research and Stalled Student Potential
Established on July 1, 1921, on land donated by Nawab Salimullah as compensation for the Partition of Bengal, Dhaka University began with 847 students, three faculties, and twelve departments. It quickly became intertwined with the nation's destiny, serving as a crucible for the Language Movement, the initial resistance of the Liberation War, and the anti-autocracy movement. Its influence has been pivotal in every major political turning point in Bangladesh, including the 2024 mass uprising. However, despite its historical weight, the university's core function of research is critically underfunded. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, only 2.08% of the total budget, amounting to 21.57 crore taka, was allocated to research. While the University Grants Commission (UGC) provided nearly a thousand crore taka this year, no separate funds were earmarked for research. This starkly contrasts with institutions like Harvard, which spends over 12,500 crore taka annually on research, Oxford even more, and India's IIT Madras allocating close to 1,500 crore taka. Despite these limitations, researchers from Dhaka University published 1,789 Scopus-indexed papers in 2025, and the university retains its top national position in the QS rankings. Yet, its global ranking at 584 raises questions about its progress in knowledge production beyond its historical significance. The author suggests a theoretical explanation rooted in 'decolonization,' arguing that the university, influenced by a colonial education system, has become a passive recipient of Western knowledge rather than a producer of its own, akin to Tagore's description of universities as 'imported potted plants from Britain,' disconnected from the nation's soil. This disconnect is reflected in the student experience, with one postgraduate student in Anthropology recounting issues such as a single classroom for multiple year groups, delayed results, and a hacked website, leading to a sense of disillusionment and a focus on escaping the institution. The student's experience over four years, witnessing three governments and an attempted coup, highlights that despite changes like the absence of mass rooms and improved sleeping arrangements, the fundamental educational and political climate has not significantly evolved. The persistent issues of student politics, faculty involvement in politics, and the overwhelming focus on securing government jobs, mirroring societal 'patron-client' relationships and unemployment anxieties, stifle the creative and intellectual potential of many students. Many talented individuals, who were once passionate about arts and literature, become lost in the pursuit of government jobs, leading to a decline in mental well-being and a sense of unfulfillment. The author concludes that Dhaka University, while providing a foothold for many in the competitive capital, has largely failed to foster genuine intellectual growth and personal fulfillment for a significant portion of its students, leading to a phenomenon akin to 'Stockholm Syndrome' where students endure the system despite its shortcomings.
The narrative highlights a significant disconnect between Dhaka University's historical prestige and its current capacity for research and fostering student potential. While the university has undeniably played a crucial role in Bangladesh's socio-political landscape, the analysis points to systemic underfunding of research as a critical impediment to its academic advancement. This underinvestment, contrasted with global benchmarks, suggests a potential misallocation of resources or a lack of strategic prioritization for knowledge creation. Furthermore, the author's critique, framed through the lens of decolonization and student experience, suggests that the university's curriculum and environment may be perpetuating a model that prioritizes rote learning and credential acquisition, particularly for government employment, over critical thinking and innovation. This focus on 'survival' within the system, rather than intellectual exploration, raises questions about the university's ability to adapt to the evolving demands of the 21st century and its role in cultivating future leaders equipped for a knowledge-based economy. The 'potted plant' metaphor underscores a potential deficit in indigenous knowledge development and critical engagement with local contexts, suggesting a need for pedagogical and structural reforms to foster a more dynamic and self-sustaining academic ecosystem.
AI-generated to prompt reflection — not editorial opinion, not advice, not a statement of fact. How this works.