Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday made history by walking on foot from Dhaka University's Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban to the Prof Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium in the Faculty of Social Sciences, marking an unprecedented moment in campus history.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Prime Minister began his walk shortly before noon after attending the inaugural session of a national workshop titled 'Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: Roadmap to Sustainable Excellence,' organized by the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh at the Senate Bhaban. Despite an official motorcade being prepared outside the Senate Bhaban, Tarique Rahman opted for a more personal approach, choosing to walk to the Social Sciences Faculty building near the Arts building (Kala Bhaban) to participate in an interactive session with students.
As students observed the Prime Minister walking through the campus, many applauded and chanted slogans. Prime Minister's Press Secretary Saleh Shibly, who accompanied him during the walk, described the event as historic, noting that it was a first in both Bangladesh's history and the history of Dhaka University for a head of government to walk so freely through the campus to attend an event. He also highlighted that previous visits by heads of government were often marked by protests, counter-slogans, or clashes, but no such scenes occurred during this visit.
Saleh Shibly further mentioned that hundreds of students gathered along the path, applauding, chanting slogans, and waving as the Prime Minister made his way through the campus. At the Prof Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium, the Prime Minister engaged in an open question-and-answer session with about 150 students, addressing a range of academic and campus-related issues candidly.
The event generated such an overwhelming response that many students, unable to find seats inside the auditorium, resorted to watching the Prime Minister's live interaction on their mobile phones from various spots across the campus. Prof Morshed Hasan Khan, convener of the event organizing committee, described the Prime Minister's walk as 'remarkable history,' noting that there has never been an example of any head of government walking through the university campus without a heavy security cordon, and highlighting the memorable reaction from students of diverse ideological backgrounds.