RU sees no dev work in five years as per Master Plan

No development work has been done in the education and infrastructure structures of Rajshahi University (RU) in the last five years executing the Master Plan.

The 50-year mega plan was taken to enhance quality and standard of education and infrastructure of the public university.

The master plan was approved at the 501st meeting of the RU Syndicate on October 1, 2020, and the model of the 50-year (2020-70) master plan was unveiled by the university's former vice chancellor, Professor Dr M Abdus Sobhan.

In the master plan, priority was given to the infrastructural development and strategic and spatial planning of the university. But even after five years, the work of this grand plan of the university is limited to the unveiling of the model; and thus no development work has been done under the master plan till date. Meanwhile, discussions and criticisms are going on among the teachers of the university regarding the master plan adopted by the university administration during the Awami League government.

Some senior professors of the university observed that the 50-year master plan had been undertaken following advice of a handful of stakeholders of the university.

Ignoring the 1962 master plan of the university, the previous administration had built structures unreasonably in various places of the university in the name of a 50-year master plan, they said.

The professors emphasised that the university administration should take this master plan again. They (the RU administration) basically prepared this master plan to use the family names in the university faculties- namely Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Hall, Sheikh Hasina Hall, Sheikh Russell School and College and Shaheed Kamruzzaman Hall, the professors added.

This correspondent discovered that the convener of the 50-year master plan committee was former pro-vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Chowdhury Md Zakaria, whose audio record of financial transactions with a job-seeking woman was leaked.

According to the university sources, under this master plan, around 750 acre area of campus land was divided into five zones.

With infrastructural development and strategic and spatial planning receiving the highest focus, the plan laid special importance on development of academic and administrative infrastructures, modernisation of libraries, and development of residential facilities.

To ensure a quality education environment, the master plan also attached importance to the development of residential infrastructures for students, teachers, and officials, increasing proper use of roads and open spaces, modernisation of transport systems, establishment of a modern gymnasium, and a water and electricity supply system.

The master plan also included development of drainage, waste and sewage systems and a Climate Change and Natural Disaster Response System, and construction of two 10-story residential halls for students.

An initiative was taken to construct a residential building for teachers with 10 floors on the west side of Rokeya Hall of the university.

Every year, plans are made to increase the number of faculties and departments. That is why, a plan has been taken to construct an academic building with 20 floors.

An administrative building with 10 floors will be constructed on the west side of the central mosque of the university. A separate Dean's Complex for research labs for science, engineering, and agriculture faculties is included in the master plan.

A structural development plan for the university's auditorium, stadium, and swimming pool was taken.

Planting new trees, renovating roads and constructing footways and parking spaces were planned to preserve the environment of the university, increase the beauty, and conserve the biodiversity.

Design of a state-of-the-art bus stand was prepared under the supervision of car manufacturer Nitol Tata.

The plan also kept provision of increasing the number of new cars and drivers every 10 years and bringing the entire campus under the drainage system.

[email protected]