By Durdana Ghias: The few names that come to our minds when we mention Dhaka or Dhaka University (DU) — Curzon Hall is one of them. Yesterday this magnificent edifice completed its 100 years but still looks young with the colourful presence of the students. Each year thousands of science students complete their academic degrees from many departments of Curzon Hall, which is a British edifice built with a Mughal imprint.
Unlike Arts Building, which is also a key feature of DU, Curzon Hall has its own demeanor. It is calm, quiet and tranquil.
The vastness of the whole area of Curzon cannot be grasped from the outside. There are several playing fields, flowerbeds and a big pond inside it, which are rare sites in the present Dhaka city.
The entire structure is made of red bricks studded with greeneries. It was made as one of the consequences of Bangabhanga movement in 1905.
The construction of Curzon Hall started in 1904 and ended in 1908. An artist from Rajputna, at present Rajsthan in India, did its ornamentation. In February of 1904 viceroy Lord Curzon paid a visit to Dhaka and put a foundation stone in his name there to build it as a library of Dhaka College (DC).
At that time a new building was also required to shift the College so after its construction DC was transferred here. This was DC’s Grand Assembly Hall. Beside the Hall, 18 rooms were built in the main structure with a total cost of Tk 3 lakhs.
Ronendranarayan, the son of Bhawal’s zamindar Rajendranarayan, donated half of this money. As it was built in the British period and embellished by an Indian, it carries the impressions of English, sub-continental and Mughal styles.
When Dhaka University was founded in 1921, DC was transferred and Curzon Hall turned into the pivot of DU. The classes of Physics Department were held here.
This ancient edifice witnessed Satyen Basu writing his world famous article on quantum theory that connected his name with Einstein. In a journal called Siteshrift, his address was given as ‘Ramna, Dhaka’ and this made Ramna a part of the history of science.
Kazi Motahar Hossain, Khandakar Mokarram Hossain, Innas Ali and many other famous professors taught here. After 1947, it was used not only as the physics department but also for other purposes.
On March 24, 1948, Md Ali Jinnah spoke at the convocation of the University at Curzon Hall ‘Urdu will be the only state language of Pakistan’. His declaration was challenged forthwith at the congregation and that was the inception of Language Movement.
“When we were students it was the symbol of DU. Exams, book fairs and other programmes were held there,” said Prof Muntasir Mamun, also a historian.
“Though I was a teacher of arts, Curzon Hall always bore a significant part of DU’s glory to me,” he said.
“I attended my first university exam at Curzon Hall. I remember it as a cavernous hall which stirred up awe in my mind,” said Ahsan Habib, editor of satire magazine Unmad.
Dhaka Physics Group arranged a special programme at Curzon “Hundredth anniversary of Einstein’s special theory and centenary of the Curzon Hall” yesterday to commemorate its centenary. The programme started at 10:30am and also celebrated International Physics Year and 100 years of the theory of relativity of Albert Einstein.
Professors from different departments of Curzon Hall spoke and reminisced memories of old days.
Dhaka Physics Group is a group of those passed from Curzon Hall at various times.
The group has also published a book named ‘Our Alma Mater’ on these occasion. The book has been dedicated to those who laid their lives in the language movement in 1952 and in liberation war in 1971. The chief guest of the programme was Justice Md Habibur Rahman, the former chief adviser to Caretaker Government.
Source: The Daily Star, Wed, Sep 13, 2006 http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/09/13/d609132502141.htm
