Bangladesh Renames Six Medical Colleges, Dropping Honors to Sheikh Mujib and Hasina

DHAKA: The leaders of Bangladesh's interim government are increasingly viewed as illegitimate by many, but now they are more focused on changing the country's history.

Recently, they officially renamed six medical colleges bearing 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his daughter, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Reports have been emerging that the colleges would be named after the districts, rather than persons, and carry the district names. Among them are Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Jamalpur and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College in Faridpur. The decision was taken through a notification by Dr Md Sarwar Bari, secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division.

Colonel Maleque Medical College, Manikganj renamed as Manikganj Medical College; Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College, Noakhali now Noakhali Medical College; and Sheikh Hasina Medical College, Jamalpur now Jamalpur Medical College. Similarly, Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Tangail has been named Tangail Medical College, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College in Faridpur is known as Faridpur Medical College, and M Abdur Rahim Medical College in Dinajpur is called Dinajpur Medical College.

It notified these under presidential directive and made known that the changes shall have immediate effect. There had been speculations suggesting that this move was meant to create a no-cult of personality approach to individuals for fear of slipping into totalitarianism.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the critical importance of continuing the dynamics of change which the fresh student protests in Bangladesh set in motion, and for the former Prime Minister having resigned, was that of making sure the demands placed by the protests - rights, accountability, and justice - actually spur meaningful reform.

He saw that this crisis point for Bangladesh history was brought about by youths taking to the streets with great personal sacrifice over frustrations of being ignored and marginalized.

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