In a major development, the interim government of Bangladesh has initiated a process to rename educational institutions, including schools, colleges, madrasas, and research organizations, named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members. This follows the earlier decision to change the names of 13 government universities bearing her family name. According to sources within the Ministry of Education, a similar move will now affect various institutions across the country, with the aim to remove names linked to Sheikh Hasina, her family, and individuals associated with the 1971 genocide.
Officials from the education sector have stated that a nationwide list of schools, colleges, and madrasas named after ruling party leaders is being compiled. A committee, led by district commissioners, is working on identifying these institutions, which will then submit proposals for name changes, citing the reasons for the alterations. The process is expected to follow a policy framework, after which the final decision will be made to rename the institutions in line with regional or national themes.
In October of last year, the Advisory Council had decided that educational institutions named after Sheikh Hasina and her family, as well as those linked to individuals associated with the 1971 genocide, would have their names changed. On January 12th, the council made the decision to rename 13 public universities that carried the names of Sheikh Hasina and her family members, replacing them with names based on the geographical locations of the universities or broader national themes. Following this, the process of changing the names of schools, colleges, and madrasas has begun.
The education ministries have instructed district commissioners to compile a list of educational institutions that carry names associated with genocide. The compilation process is underway through the relevant departments—Higher Education, Secondary and Technical Education, and Primary Education. District commissioners have been asked to submit the final list by March, as the authorities prepare a final report.
Masud Akhtar Khan, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, confirmed that implementation of the decision is underway. “Committees led by the district commissioners and upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) have started working on compiling the list,” Khan said.
List of Institutions Named After Sheikh Hasina
Numerous institutions across the country bear Sheikh Hasina’s name, including:
- University Halls: 10 women’s dormitories named after her in various public universities, such as Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University, and Shere Bangla Agricultural University.
- Colleges: Seven colleges, including Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Habiganj, Sheikh Hasina Textile Engineering College in Jamalpur, and Sheikh Hasina Academy in Pirojpur.
- Institutes: Two prominent institutions: the Sheikh Hasina Institute of Medical Technology in Jamalpur and the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka.
- Other Institutions: The Sheikh Hasina National Youth Center, the Sheikh Hasina Rural Development Academy, and two international cricket stadiums named after her in Dhaka and Manikganj.
- Roads and Highways: Major roads such as Sheikh Hasina Highway in Madaripur and Sheikh Hasina Road in Chittagong.
- Naval and Military Installations: The BNS Sheikh Hasina naval ship and a military cantonment.
Local administrative bodies are also preparing to suggest name changes at the district level, where committees led by district commissioners will submit their recommendations. For primary schools, a committee will be formed under the leadership of the UNO, and at the district level, the education officers will work as the committee secretaries.
The name change process, set to conclude by March, will affect a wide array of institutions across the nation.
