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DUCSU museum struggling to breathe

Sabrina Karim Murshed
You are bound to be attracted to it the moment you step into the room. Inside a glass box with history written all over it, stands the remains of a mango tree trying to enlighten the new generation with messages from the past.
The log is a part of the historical mango tree of Dhaka University where the Language Movement of 1952 was initi-
ated. The first protest meeting was held beneath it and the movement that followed, ended with the Bengalis securing their own mother tongue through the blood of language martyrs.
Not only the log but a good number of relics, including documents and rare photographs are kept at the small museum of Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) building known as DUCSU Shongrohoshala. It houses different mementos of the language movement in 1952, mass upsurge of 1969 and ofcourse the Liberation War of 1971. Some items are related to the University’s own history like the first certificate issued by it.
However, the museum is struggling to exhibit all its items due to paucity of space and lack of funds.
It was founded in 1991 after the mass upsurge against autocracy in a bid to safe-keep the traces of freedom struggles at different times. But since the beginning, the museum has not expanded from its single room area of 20 xl5 square feet.
"There are so many items, especially some rare pictures that the museum can not exhibit," said a student of Islamic History department.
"The photograph of human remnants found at the field of Jagannath College on December 16,1971 tells of the genocide during the War of Liberation. History becomes alive when one sees such a picture," he said adding that apart from space crisis, political reasons might be responsible for some
relics not being on display.
As the museum can not exhibit all the photos, its authorities have pasted some of photographs in register books in an attempt to save them.
At present the ceiling and some other parts of the room are in a partially dilapidated state and in urgent need of repair work A portrait of Asad, martyr of the mass upsurge of
1969 is almost ruined and some other items have also met similar fates.
Any repair work needs money but there is no regular fund for the museum.
"The museum would not have been in such condition had the DUCSU been active," said Sheikh Shamim, a leader of the Jatiyatabadi Chatra Dal (JSD), student wing of the ruling party. He said the stu-
dents sometimes try to provide money from their own sources for the museum.
Gopal Chandra Das, assistant cameraman and collector, who happens to be the lone staff of the museum said the University authority has assured providing more space for the museum.
Proctor Aka Firowz Ahmad admitted that the current space is too small for a
museum.
"Even three or four people can not stand inside together," he said. He informed that there was no specific proposal for providing space for the museum but added that a proposal for a University Central Museum was submitted to the ministry of cultural affairs last year which has unfortunately not seen any progress.As the museum can not exhibit ail the photos, its authorities have pasted some of photographs in register books in an attempt to save them