Rajshahi College is far more than a seat of academic learning; it remains the spiritual custodian and beacon of intellectual and cultural heritage for northern Bangladesh, Land Minister Md Mizanur Rahman Minu remarked during a preparatory gathering in the capital. Likening the venerable institution to a nurturing mother, Minu called on alumni across the globe to gather alongside current undergraduates under a unified umbrella to celebrate the college’s landmark 150th anniversary.
Addressing delegates as the chief guest at a planning session on Hare Road, the minister stressed that the sesquicentennial jubilee and reunion would serve as a vital bridge spanning multiple generations of scholars. Established in 1873, Rajshahi College holds a distinguished place in the educational architecture of the subcontinent, having shaped generations of pioneering civil servants, jurists, scientists, and cultural icons. Minu described the upcoming milestone as an expansive festival of solidarity, shared identity, and historic pride.
To ensure broad participation from the institution’s diaspora, the minister urged former students residing across the world to enrol via dedicated registration portals. He proposed setting up continent-specific alumni coordination committees, enabling former scholars in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and beyond to mobilise resources and participate directly in the commemorative programmes. To anchor the legacy of this milestone permanently on campus grounds, plans are underway to commission a commemorative landmark sculpture dedicated to the sesquicentennial year.
Minu detailed a suite of government-backed infrastructural initiatives designed to modernise the historic campus while honouring its architectural character. The planned developments include erecting a multi-storey academic complex equipped with contemporary educational facilities, constructing an advanced auditorium for academic and cultural colloquia, expanding residential halls for both male and female students, and refurbishing the institution’s historic playing fields.
The preparatory assembly was chaired by the Principal of Rajshahi College, Professor Dr Md Ibrahim Ali. Several high-profile dignitaries attended as special guests, including the Member of Parliament for the Rajshahi-3 constituency Advocate Mohammad Shafiqul Haque Milon, Anti-Corruption Commission Secretary Md Saidur Rahman Khan, Rajshahi Development Authority Chairman Md Abul Kalam Azad Sweet, and former Home Secretary S.M. Zahurul Islam.
They were joined by a broad assembly of serving and retired civil administrators, executive leaders of the Rajshahi College Alumni Association, faculty members, student representatives, and members of the press. Working groups formed during the meeting will oversee event logistics, publication of commemorative volumes, cultural showcases, and global delegate registration ahead of the central celebrations.
