Curzon Hall - Icon of Dhaka University:
Meant to be a town hall/library, it was named after Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, who laid its foundation in 14 February 1904. A year later, Bengal was partitioned and Dhaka became the capital of the newly created province of East Bengal and Assam. After annulment of the province in 1911, Dhaka University was established in 1921, it became part of the university's science section and continues as such.
front view
view from west
west end
elegance and lightness of structure
view of grand corridor
central hall
front entry with cusped arch (south)
serene and tranquil surrounding
Biochemistry and microbiology buildings
cool facade
Established in 1921, under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council, the academic activities started on July 1, 1921 with 3 faculties - art, sciences and law, 12 teaching departments, 60 teachers, 847 students and 3 residential halls. Now the university boasts with 10 Faculties, 51 departments, 9 Institutes, 18 different types of research centres, 18 residential halls with over 30,000 students and 1300 teachers.
The Partition of Bengal in 1905 provided the Muslim majority community of East Bengal and Assam new hopes and aspirations for the development of the region and advancement of its people. But its annulment, barely six years later due to stiff opposition from the powerful Hindu leadership of Calcutta, was viewed by Muslims as 'a grievous wrong'.
It is believed that a combination of political, social and economic compulsions persuaded the govt of India later to establish a university at Dhaka as an ‘imperial compensation' to Muslims for the annulment of the partition of Bengal, although many hindu leaders in Calcutta such as advocate Dr Rash Bihari Ghosh, met the Viceroy of India and expressed the apprehension that the establishment of a separate university at Dhaka would promote 'an internal partition of Bengal'. They also contended, as was recorded in the Calcutta University Commission report later, that "Muslims of Eastern Bengal were in large majority cultivators and they would benefit in no way by the foundation of a university".
A deputation of high ranking Muslim leaders, including Sir Nawab Khwaja Salimullah, Nawab Syed Nawab Ali Choudhury and A. K. Fazlul Huq met Viceroy Lord Hardinge on January 31, 1912, who was quick to perceive the dissatisfaction of Muslims and their fears how the annulment could retard the educational progress of their community.
Lord Hardinge assured that the new university would be there as a residential university opened to all (ref: wikipedia, the daily star).
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