Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah and a forgotten chapter of DU

 

Dhaka University is the vibe of Bangladesh's existence. This year the university has entered its centenary. In the history of the world, Dhaka University is a special institution which has given birth to an independent sovereign state. Dhaka University was not established under the control of the state of Bangladesh but the birth of the state of Bangladesh was in the hands of Dhaka University. Almost all the movements for the establishment of Bangladesh were sprouted in the meritorious premises of Dhaka University. Over the last one hundred years, the University of Dhaka has been the most ancient, traditional and enlightened lighthouse of a nation and the main center of socio-cultural, political and historical transformation. As Dhaka University has led the way in higher education in this long journey, it has also shown the way in the crisis of the Bengali nation. In the last century, Dhaka University has produced the best intellectuals, teachers, scientists, administrators, politicians, writers and social thinkers in the country.

In the historical context of the establishment of Dhaka University, Bengali intellectuals were divided into two groups. The role of some Calcutta-centric intellectuals was questionable. From the very beginning, Dhaka University faced their opposition. Again, many intellectuals took a firm stand for the establishment of Dhaka University, involving themselves in various contributions. Nawab Salimullah was the primary and original proposer of Dhaka University. After his death in 1915, Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury, the zamindar of Dhanbari, took the movement for the establishment of Dhaka University forward with a firm hand. Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque provided political support and patronage at different stages of the establishment of the university. From the very beginning, the British government took the initiative to establish a university with a positive attitude.

Apart from these discussed political activities, administrative and intellectual activities were also very effective in the history of the establishment of Dhaka University. But the news of these intellectual activities did not get much space in the main discussion of history or this episode has been neglected in history. Many intellectual academics took the initiative to establish universities from outside the political arena. Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah was one such government education administrator who made an outstanding contribution to the establishment of Dhaka University, but the news of his intellectual struggle under the political damadol has long been ignored in our history. Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah, as a high-ranking official of the Department of Education of undivided Bengal, played a direct and courageous role in every phase from its inception to its inception. Member of Nathan Commission Teaching Sub-Committee in 1912, Member of Hornell Committee in 1914, explicit statement to Calcutta University Commission in 1918, and Valuable feedback on the draft law for establishment of Dhaka University in 1919, Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah took a firm stand everywhere to establish Dhaka University.

Ahsanullah was the first and only Indian Muslim to hold the post of Assistant Director of Education department in Undivided Bengal, the first Indian IES officer in the Indian Education Service and the first Muslim Senate and Syndicate member in Calcutta University. He was nominated as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in Britain in 1911 for his work on the Indian education system. From then on, his ideas of education in undivided Bengal were taken very seriously by the British government.

The people of East Bengal, especially the majority Muslim community, were deeply disappointed by the cancel declaration of partition of Bengal on 12 December 1911. Nawab Salimullah sent two letters to Viceroy Lord Hardinge on 17 and 20 December, reacting strongly against the abrogation of the partition of Bengal. In a letter dated 187 December, he said that the people of East Bengal would be shocked and outraged by the abolition of Partition of Bengal and in 2nd letter he proposed some innovative reforms in the education system for the overall betterment of the majority Muslims of East Bengal. Just after receiving the letter, the viceroy gave a note to his education adviser, Sir H. Butler, asking for his opinion on the Nawab's proposal. H. Butler sent a positive opinion to the Viceroy on the proposal of Nawab Salimullah. When the Viceroy visited Dhaka on 31 January 1912, 19 Muslim leaders from East Bengal, including Nawab Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, Nawab Sir Salimullah and AK Fazlul Haque, met him and made a number of demands.

The Viceroy assured the delegation that among other things, the government would take active consideration in establishing a university in Dhaka. In reaction, a high-powered Hindu delegation led by Rashbehari Ghosh met the Viceroy and raised objections to the establishment of Dhaka University, but the Viceroy did not agree to their objections. On 28 May the Government of Bengal issued a resolution for the establishment of a university and formed a thirteen-member committee headed by Barrister Nathan to formulate the scheme. At that time, as a 'teaching scholar', Ahsanullah was made a member of the teaching sub-committee of the Nathan Committee. He then presented his views on the proposed Dhaka University teaching system, subject-based faculty and teacher recruitment system.

Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury at the Mohammedan Educational Conference of Bengal Presidency on 14 April 1914 expressed concern over the delay in establishing a university in Dhaka as the initiative to establish Dhaka University was halted due to the First World War. To address this concern, the Bengal government, led by Bengal's DPI Hornel, formed the Hornel Committee to look into the reasons for the backwardness of Muslims in education. Ahsanullah, the then Additional Inspector of the Presidency, was made one of the members of the committee. Ahsanullah presented the report with the reasons behind the backwardness of Muslims in the field of education and recommendations. This report was later considered as a data base for the establishment and legislation of Dhaka University.

The Calcutta University Commission (Sadler Commission), formed in 1918, sought written opinions from academics and educationists of the country on the establishment of the University of Dhaka. Ahsanullah presented his thoughtful opinion on eight of the 22 questions. His views were included in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th volumes of the Commission Report. The subject of question number four of the commission was the issue of establishing Dhaka University. This was the basis of the Calcutta University authorities' objections and negative attitude towards the establishment of Dhaka University. In response to question number four, Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah presented the importance of establishing Dhaka University. In other written opinions also, the specific proposals that he put forward are seen to be exact reflected in the education system of that time.

In the final phase of the establishment of Dhaka University, Ahsanullah descended into a more direct and undisputed role. The Dhaka University Bill was raised in the meeting of the Legislative Council on 11 September 1919. In a letter sent on 23 September, the government called on Calcutta University to send a final opinion on the draft law of Dhaka University. In this context, a Nine-member Senate committee was formed on 1st November. Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah was the only Bengali Muslim member of that committee. As a member of the Draft Bill Review Committee, he presented his strong argument in extreme opposition and intense debate with other influential members of the committee in each paragraph subsection of the bill. Most of the members of the committee opposed the establishment of Dhaka University. As the representative of the Muslims of East Bengal, he single-handedly continued the intellectual struggle., Ahsanullah could not agree with the others, so on 27 November 1919, he submitted a four-page note of dissent in favor of the establishment of the University of Dhaka. His note of dissent is attached to the report of the committee.

The Dhaka University Act was passed on 23 March 1920. Ahsanullah's recommendation to the Nathan and Hornell Committee, the written opinion given to the Sadler Commission, the argument given to the Senate of Calcutta University, the opinion given to the Special Committee for the establishment of Dhaka University, the statement of note of dissent are all clearly reflected in the Dhaka University Act. On 1 July 1921, Dhaka University officially started its journey. From its inception till 1933, he was a Court Member (Senate) of Dhaka University and nominated as a fellow of Arts faculty. It may be mentioned that the first Muslim female student of Dhaka University was Fazilatunnesa Zoha, daughter-in-law of Ahsanullah.

The history of Dhaka University means the history of the rise of the Bengali nation. Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah's contribution to the establishment of Dhaka University as an educator, as an education administrator, as a confident representative of Bengali Muslims is undeniable. Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah needs to be included in the main discussion of the history of Dhaka University. If the full history of the establishment of Dhaka University cannot be revealed to this generation even after a hundred years, it is really unfortunate. The establishment of Dhaka University was a concerted effort of political and intellectual struggle. Dhaka University, as the beacon of the Bengali nation, the light of knowledge will shine in the centuries after centuries.


The writer is a Director, Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Institute and Lecturer of Madaripur govt college.
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