S DILIP ROY

Construction of “Swadhinata Smarak”, the first Liberation War monument on Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) campus, remains incomplete even after 13 years, despite the change of five vice-chancellors at the university.

The monument has an 11,696-square-foot base, featuring three fringe-like stone pillars that symbolise the participation of people from different walks of life and their sacrifices in the Liberation War.

A 20-foot tunnel-like canopy will connect the pillars, representing the unity and collective struggle of the people during the war. The pillars will bear engravings depicting wartime memories, with murals behind them.

According to BRUR sources, the monument’s construction began in December 2012 during the tenure of the then vice-chancellor Prof Md Abdul Jalil Mia, with funding from Janata Bank.

The foundation stone was laid on November 28, 2013, by the then VC Prof Dr AKM Nur-un-Nabi. However, the work was halted shortly afterwards. Later, the construction work resumed during the tenure of the following VC, Prof Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah.

The project’s cost was initially estimated at Tk 1.30 crore. Later, the then VC Prof Kalimullah proposed increasing the budget to Tk 4.30 crore.

However, following allegations of corruption in the project, the Ministry of Education in December 2019 instructed the university to conduct an investigation through the University Grants Commission (UGC).

As the investigation found evidence supporting the allegations, the ministry halted the work of three major projects of the university -- the Swadhinata Smarak, a research institute, and a 10-storey female dormitory.

Since then, these projects have remained stalled for years. Although the construction of the research institute and the female dormitory resumed recently, work on the Swadhinata Smarak did not.

Tasbiul Habib Nishad, a student of the Political Science department, said, “The current administration has resumed many stalled projects. I hope the work

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