JU to build convention centre with pvt funding
Plabon Tarique, JU
Jahangirnagar University (JU) will build a six-storied convention centre, to be named after Abdul Kadir Mollah, with funds provided by the Mojid-Mollah Foundation.
Mollah, who is the chairman and managing director of the Thermax Group, is funding the construction of the facility.
Its foundation stone was laid on January 12. JU vice-chancellor (VC) Prof. Farzana Islam laid the foundation at the universitys Targan Pointa prime spot next to the social science faculty.
According to the university registrars office, the centre will have three parts. The main portion will have a hall to host mass gatherings. The other two parts will have two seminar rooms and an international-standard guest house to accommodate 50 guests. Mollahs own construction firm would supervise the construction work and bear the cost.
The work is expected to begin within a month and the complex is likely to be handed over to the university by this year.
Meanwhile, there has been a controversy centring the convention centre as Abdul Kadir Mollah is not known for his intellectual pursuits. Moreover, students have demanded more dormitory library facilities. The laying of the centres foundation by the VC raised a storm of criticism in social network sites. Besides, the students, who consider Mollha a controversial figure, have been opposing the project, arguing that a public university convention centre should not be named after him. Some of them have begun a movement, demanding the scrapping of this private project.
As part of this movement, around 150 students from different departments and institutes held a protest march under the banner of General students of JU that passed through the main campus thoroughfares. The agitated students also submitted a memorandum to the JU VC in the morning.
Their six-point demands placed before the university authorities included the scrapping of the project.
Sushmita Moriom, one of the protestors, said, No private project will be allowed here as JU is a public university. Every infrastructure of the public university must be financed by the government.
Raising objection about the name of the proposed convention centre, another protestor, Jubair Tipu, said: Businessman Abdul Kadir Mollha is neither an intellectual nor a scientist. So, its quite inappropriate to have the convention centre named after him. In face of the protest, the university administration clarified in a press release that there was no commercial interest behind the project. It would promote education and research on the campus.
Besides, the university authorities sought the students cooperation to build this multi-purpose convention centre.
When contacted, Prof. Farjana Islam told The Independent: We will take money from the Mojid-Mollah Foundation under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) to construct this convention centre. The foundation has no interest in this project here. As recognition of this work, we have decided to name the centre after Abdul Kadir Mollah, a step approved by the university syndicate.
Moreover, its quite impossible to construct such a facility within a year with government funding. Thats why weve approved this proposal. The Mojid-Mollah foundation has no interest here, she said.
On the students opposition, she said, We are always on their side. We approved this construction in view of their facility. We are trying to resolve the issue through discussions. We have received the memorandum of student. We will consider it.
