Dhaka, Jan 16 (V7N)— The Interim Government's Advisory Council has approved the renaming of 13 public universities that were previously named after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members. Most of these institutions have been renamed after their respective districts.

The decision was made during a council meeting on Thursday morning, following a proposal by the Ministry of Education. The changes were later confirmed in a Facebook post by Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Advisor to the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and Youth and Sports.

Out of the country’s 55 government universities, 13 were named after members of Sheikh Hasina's family, including herself, her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and her mother Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.

New Names of the Universities:

1. Sheikh Hasina University, Netrokona → Netrokona University

2. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University, Kishoreganj → Kishoreganj University

3. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University, Naogaon → Naogaon University

4. Meherpur Mujibnagar University → Meherpur University

5. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur → Gazipur Agricultural University

6. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Shariatpur Agricultural University → Shariatpur Agricultural University

7. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University → Bangladesh Digital University

8. Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University, Jamalpur → Jamalpur Science and Technology University

9. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Pirojpur → Pirojpur Science and Technology University

10. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Narayanganj → Narayanganj Science and Technology University

11. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj → Gopalganj Science and Technology University

12. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University, Chittagong → Maritime University Bangladesh

13. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University → Aviation and Aerospace University Bangladesh

This move aligns with efforts to ensure educational institutions are named in a way that reflects their geographic or institutional identity, avoiding excessive association with individual figures.

The renaming decision has sparked widespread discussion across various sectors, with some praising the effort for neutrality and others criticising it as a political move.

END/MSS/AJ