Staff correspondent:

Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud Sunday said there are some pre-conditions to establish the permanent campus of Rabindra University in Chalan Beel area.
“The university authorities have to take clearance from the Department of Environment as per the existing rules,” he said while briefing reporters after the Ecnec meeting.
He also said that there will be no deviation of the rules for this purpose.
The government on Sunday approved the permanent campus of Rabindra University, Bangladesh, in Shahjadpur upazila of Sirajganj district with an estimated cost of Tk 519.15 crore.
The approval came amid environmentalists’ concerns that constructing the university in Chalan Beel area would obstruct the natural water flow.
According to official documents, the “Establishment of Rabindra University, Bangladesh” project will be implemented between May 2025 and April 2029 under the Ministry of Education’s Secondary and Higher Education Division.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) and Rabindra University authorities will jointly execute the project.
The project’s objective is to build physical infrastructure to facilitate modern, technology-based teaching and research, alongside promoting Rabindra studies, science-mindedness, and creativity.
Once completed, the university is expected to offer world-class academic opportunities.
Currently, Rabindra University operates from three local colleges in Shahjadpur but the temporary agreements with those institutions have already expired.
Authorities of the colleges declined to extend the arrangement, creating an acute shortage of classrooms, offices, and accommodation facilities.
The proposed permanent campus will be built on 100 acres of khas land at Buripothajia mouza in Shahjadpur, part of the poet Rabindranath Tagore’s former zamindari estate.
The process of land allocation is underway at the Ministry of Land.
At present, the university runs academic activities in five departments under four faculties, with around 2,500 students.
Under the first phase of the new project, 10 departments will be opened, while the long-term plan includes 40 departments and three institutes accommodating about 7,000 students.
The project will include construction of academic and residential buildings, land development, electrification, and procurement of furniture, computers, and research equipment.
Officials said the project aligns with the government’s 8th Five-Year Plan, which prioritises improving the quality of tertiary education and research with a particular focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.