Sheikh Hasina University: the First Fully Digital Public University of the Country

The launching story of Sheikh Hasina University

Sheikh Hasina University, in brief SHU, was established in the year 2018 as the thirty-ninth public university of the country. There are some specialized digital universities in Bangladesh but as a public university, SHU is the first fully digital one with further progress here and now. SHU, situated in Netrakona, has started its academic activities temporarily at the Technical Training Center (TTC) in Rajur Bazar. 

This is one of the fewest universities in the world that is named after a living person. SHU is named after Sheikh Hasina, the present prime minister of Bangladesh and the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation 

Vice-Chancellor of SHU 

Dr. Rafique Ullah Khan, a renowned professor of Bangla of the University of Dhaka and a world-famous researcher of South Asian Studies, is honored with the responsibility as the first Vice-Chancellor of this University while Dr. Subrata Kumar Aditya, a professor of EEE department of the University of Dhaka, is the treasurer.

Seven Committed Teachers with the VC 

Now seven faculty members are working in three departments namely English, Bangla and Economics. They are from renowned universities in Bangladesh. Two of them previously worked as lecturers at private universities and one as an Assistant Registrar at a public university. Now all the faculty members are in the position of lecturer, one of them is with a Ph.D.

New Faculties; New Hope

There are two founding faculties namely the faculty of Arts and the faculty of Social Science. Arts faculty consists of the department of English and department of Bangla while Social Science faculty is comprised of the Department of Economics. There is a new faculty beginning its journey from the second year of its commencement named the faculty of Science. This one consists of the department of Computer Science and Engineering. SHU started its academic curriculums from 2018-2019 with 90 students of Bangla, English and Economics departments. From the 2019-2020 session, the second batch of these three departments and the first batch of the CSE department are getting admitted here. Each department is enrolling 30 students for each batch and therefore now the university has 210 students. From the 1st of January 2020, classes will begin.

Students with Full-Fledged Accommodation Opportunity

Sheikh Hasina University is providing students with the service of full accommodation. A floor of the temporary office building is used as a hall for male students. A house has been rent in Nagra area for accommodation of female students. Students get transportation facilities to come to and return from campus. Teachers and officials also get transportation facilities with an air-conditioned microbus. Recently one minibus only for students, one micro for teachers and one for officials will be added to it.

What about its main campus?

500 acres of land have been allotted for setting its main campus in Shingher Bangla union of Netrakona. The allotted area is basically a wetland with one-time cropland though there are a few lands with brick factories and houses. According to the mega plan of this university, academic and administrative buildings, dormitories, worshipping rooms, playgrounds and gymnasium will not take more than 150 acres while around 150 to 200 acres will remain as wetland though they will take the form of a lake. The rest of the lands will be ecologically greened with different sorts of trees.

More to Know

A project of BDT 2,637.41 crore was approved for setting up Sheikh Hasina University. It is expected that by 2021, academic Buildings for 4,000 students, 4 residential halls, a Sahid Minar, housing facilities for teachers, officers and employees will be completed. This university plans to enroll at least 4,000 students by 2041. Initiating science and technology-based curriculum and department-based lab facilities by local-foreign teachers and experts is part of the future plan. According to the Vice-Chancellor, departments like EEE, Communication Science, Genetics Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, Applied Physics, Agriculture, Fisheries, Institute of Haor and Wetland Studies, Bangabandhu and Liberation War Research Institute, Folk literature will get priority. As this university is situated in the wetland, the haor including its properties and lifestyle of its people will be at the center of concern of this institute. This area is also blessed with the light of folk literature and this is why this university will research it by establishing a different institute.

Does the SHU logo tell us something? 

SHU has a wonderful logo. Each symbol of the final logo indicates various features of the area such as the symbol of the flying bird which reflects the beauty of the mountain and riverine areas of Netrakona. A sign of open book indicates wisdom and knowledge. The symbol containing the hill refers to the whitewashed hill adjacent to the Birishiri River. Freshwater at the foot of the hill indicates the water of the Birishiri River. There are symbols of the ethnic art of the Garo community, and the pale-yellow color of the china-clay hill which represents the whole idea of Netrakona district.

To Set the Seal On

Finally, the first fully digital public university of Bangladesh situated at the wetland of the country is hoped to be a lighthouse for the people of the country, especially for the people of the wetland. Departments and institutes of this university will focus on science, technology, history, culture, and people. SHU is determined to enlighten the students to make them keep pace with the fast forwarding world. They will learn technological knowledge, get enlightened with our glorious history and work on and for our land, our motherland.

Credit: Fiction writer cum essayist Safi Ullah teaches English literature at Sheikh Hasina University, Netrakona