Students erase name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall at Dhaka University

They have instead hung up a banner that says, “National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall”

A group of agitated students have erased the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall at Dhaka University. They replaced it with a banner that says “National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall”.

Protesting students marched to the university’s residential hall around midnight on Wednesday and later removed Sheikh Mujib’s name from the main gate.

The students selected a new name by collecting a mass of signatures from their classmates. In addition, the name of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from the plaques of Bijoy Ekattor Hall and Amar Ekushey Hall.

A student named Shahriar Mohammad Yamin wrote in a Facebook group called “Dhaka University Students' Songs-2”: "When will the names of 'Bangamata Hall' and 'Mujib Hall' be removed?? Even after such a huge massacre, the autocratic Hasina has no remorse. Not only should her history of 32 years be erased, everything, including her footprints should be removed forever!!”

Following the removal of the name, another student named Fakhrul Islam Khan wrote: "Although I have been an official student of Sheikh Mujib Hall since Jan 17, 2010, I have been an unofficial student of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall since Feb 6, 2025."

Around 9pm on Wednesday, students at the university became agitated over a speech delivered by Hasina online following her exile to India.

In response, Sheikh Mujib's residence at Dhanmondi Road 32 was first vandalised and then demolished. Since then, reports have come in of various establishments with the names of Hasina and Sheikh Mujib being vandalised across the country.

The homes and establishments of Awami League leaders across the country were also vandalised.