Luminaries gather at Salimullah Hall reunion
DU Correspondent
A grand reunion of former students of historic Salimullah Hall of Dhaka University (DU) was held at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre turning it into a colourful gathering of eminent scholars, intellectuals, bureaucrats, politicians and other distinguished personalities in the city yesterday. Hundreds of former students who are the prides of the country joined the reunion organised by Salimullah Hall Former Students Association. Addressing the reunion as chief guest President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed said his four years as student of the hall was an outstanding period of his life as he witnessed as well as participated in the historic Language Movement in 1952. He termed Salimullah Hall as an epicentre of the glorious Language Movement and said programmes of the movement were articulated from there. "The blood-stained shirt of a martyr was hoisted as a flag for the first time at Salimullah Hall," said the President while reminiscing the incidents of Language Movement. Prof Iajuddin was also a provost of the hall for eight years. Educationist Mesbahul Haque Chowdhury, the oldest member of the association, said," I'm now 89 years old. I will not get back the springtime of my life but it seemed to me that I'm now 30 years old and still a student of Salimullah Hall." Reminiscing about hall life he said, "I got admitted in Economics department in 1938. I lived in room no 170 which was called as 'Seliti room' by other students as three out of total four students of the room hailed from Sylhet. Former President Abdur Rahman Biswas, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former minister Matiur Rahman, University Grants Commission Chairman Prof M Asaduzzaman, Parliament Member M Jahiruddin Swapon, Prof Hosne Ara Kamal, Awami League leader Abul Mal Abdul Muhit, Privatisation Board Chairman Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, News Today Editor Riazuddin Ahmad, Poet Al Mujahidi and many other distinguished personalities, who were former students of the hall, also reminisced their memories. Salimullah Muslim Hall started functioning with 75 residential students and 103 non-residential students of 1921-22 academic session. The present building of the hall was inaugurated on August 11, 1931. At the end of the daylong reunion, its theme 'Abar Jodi Dekha Holo Sakha Praner Majhe Aai (As we meet again, friend come to the core of my heart) was turned into a reality as former students of the hall returned to their homes with a heavy heart full of springtime memories.
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