Teachers and students of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), have warned that any move to relocate the Secretariat to the old international trade fair ground in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar will have to be carried out “over the blood of the students”.
They issued the warning at a human chain in front of the National Press Club on Thursday morning, demanding the return of the ground, which they claim belongs to the university.
Later, the “Trade Fair Ground Recovery Committee” held a press conference at the National Press Club.
Speaking at the human chain, Rafiqul Islam, a professor of the university’s Department of Plant Pathology, said: “Environmentalists and residents of Dhaka are not in favour of destroying a people-friendly environment to build the Secretariat there.
“We want to make it clear to the government that if it takes such a self-defeating decision by ignoring public opinion and the views of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, the people, Dhaka residents and the students will not accept it.”
Rafiqul said, “If they want to do it, the decision will have to be implemented over the blood of the students. We certainly believe the government will not make such an ill-considered decision on an issue like this.”
He said the university’s ground had been used for the trade fair during the autocratic rule of HM Ershad, disregarding the views of its teachers, officials and employees.
“The university had residential halls, research plots and farms on the ground. Those were removed to make way for the trade fair. Considering the country’s economic interests, the university supported the move at the time.”
Rafiqul said the university had formally applied to different government offices to reclaim the ground after the trade fair was moved to Purbachal.
The university administration has submitted applications to the then chief advisor to the interim government, the Dhaka deputy commissioner, the University Grants Commission, or UGC, and the education ministry over the matter, he added.
Rafiqul said they had recently learnt that the government was considering relocating the Secretariat to the site.
Building the Secretariat there would damage the aesthetic appeal and environment of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and could also adversely affect Dhaka’s environment, he said.
He said they wanted the ground back not only for the university’s research needs, but also to preserve the green space as a source of oxygen and to protect Dhaka’s environment and beauty.
Prof M Salahuddin M Chowdhury, convenor of the “Trade Fair Ground Recovery Committee”, spoke at the subsequent press conference.
He said Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University was like a green village in the heart of the city.
Next to it is the historic Zia Udyan, where former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia are buried, he said.
Building a massive concrete structure between the two scenic sites would severely disrupt the leafy environment of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Salahuddin said.
The professor of plant pathology said: “We need to examine how much green space is left in Dhaka. We need to think now about what Dhaka will look like 20 or 30 years from today.
“We need to consider whether future generations will have enough trees, safe walkways, parks, playgrounds and a clean environment.”
Salahuddin said increasing concrete structures at the site while ignoring the views of urban planners would hamper efforts to regulate the city’s temperature and protect biodiversity.
It would also reduce the space available for children, elderly people and other residents to walk and breathe freely, he said.
At the same time, the university’s plans for agricultural research would suffer a major setback if it did not get the ground back, he added.
After the press conference, a delegation of teachers went to the Prime Minister’s Office and submitted a memorandum demanding the return of the ground.
The Dhaka International Trade Fair had been held at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar ground since 1995. The fair was moved to the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal in 2022.
Meanwhile, a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Oct 7 decided to relocate the Secretariat to the old trade fair ground.