Dhaka : The administration of Dhaka University’s (DU) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall has begun removing the name ‘Shaheed Osman Hadi Hall’ from the hall’s main entrance and restoring its previous name, saying no final administrative decision had been made to rename the facility.
The removal of the ‘Shaheed Osman Hadi Hall’ sign began around 2pm on Wednesday, with preparations subsequently made to restore the name ‘Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall’.
Mohammad Zaban Ali, senior administrative officer of the hall, said the administration was restoring the previous name following repeated requests from students.
“There is no written application with us. They have repeatedly approached us verbally. Guardians were becoming confused because certificates carried one name while another name was being used. Now only Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall will be written,” he said.
DU Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Mohammad Almojaddedi Alfechani said the university Senate had decided to retain the previous names of the institutions and facilities.
“The decision was taken in the Senate to keep the previous names as they were. That is now being implemented,” he said.
The controversy over the hall’s name began in December 2025, when the name ‘Shaheed Osman Hadi Hall’ was put up at the main entrance after the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was removed.
On January 8, 2026, the university Syndicate recommended changing the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall to Shaheed Osman Hadi Hall following a memorandum submitted to the vice-chancellor by Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) leaders.
The same Syndicate meeting also recommended renaming Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall as ‘Bir Protik Captain Sitara Begum Hall’.
However, the June 29 Senate session did not reach a final decision on changing the names of five facilities named after members of the Sheikh family. Five DUCSU Senate members subsequently walked out of the session. The proposals were later sent back to the Syndicate for reconsideration.
Abdullah Al Noman, external sports secretary of the hall’s student union, also confirmed that the ‘Shaheed Osman Hadi Hall’ name was being removed by the hall administration. In a social media post accompanying a photograph of the sign being removed, he said visitors would no longer be confused about the identity of the hall.
The university’s official website currently lists the facility as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall. According to the university’s information, the hall was established in 1988 and named after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
COMMENTS