Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah and the University of Dhaka

Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah (1873-1965) was the pride of the Muslims in Bengal and one of the most enlightened personalities of his time as a renowned academician and social reformer, a reputed philanthropist, a legendary literary figure and Sufi thinker. He was blessed with a long life and spent all his years for the advancement of the largely backward Muslims in the British-governed India by rejuvenating their thoughts and values and by lifting them from social degeneration.
The goal of bringing a positive change both in the lives and the psyche of the Muslims in then Bengal that he had set himself to was largely accomplished through his works and deeds. As a result, Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah became an institution by himself. He played a very crucial role in the establishment of Dhaka University.
The University of Dhaka was established in 1921 under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council. It opened its doors to academic activities on July 01, 1921 with three faculties, 12 teaching departments, 60 teachers, 847 students and three residential halls. Today, after 92 years, the university has 10 faculties, 48 departments, nine institutes, 26 research centres, 1,345 teachers, about 25,000 students and 17 residential halls. After the partition of India in 1947, the university was transformed from its status of a residential institution to a teaching-cum-affiliating institution as well as a proud alma mater of the country's leading intelligentsia, academics, political leadership, businessmen and bureaucrats.
The university was not founded in a day nor did the process get going without pains. A combination of political, social and economic compulsions persuaded the British government in India to establish it 'as a splendid imperial compensation' to Muslims for the annulment of the partition of Bengal. The partition of Bengal in 1905 provided the Muslim majority community of East Bengal and Assam with a sphere of influence of their own and raised new hopes for the development of the region and the advancement of its people. But its annulment on December 12, 1911 in the face of stiff opposition from the powerful Hindu leadership was viewed by Muslims as 'a grievous wrong'.
Distressed at the government's decision for the annulment of the Bengal partition, Nawab Salimullah, in consultation with other leaders, sent two handwritten letters to the British Viceroy in India, Lord Hardinge, within a week -- one on December 17 (expressing anguish over the annulment) and the other on December 20 (demanding development of institutions for the advancement of education in East Bengal). The Viceroy forwarded these letters to his Education Member in the Council, Sir H Butler, with a note inquiring whether it would not be desirable to encourage the creation of a University in Dhaka with 'Mahomedan Hostels', which should be 'an undeniable proof of our [government's] intention to encourage Mahomedan education, or in this way to safeguard the interests of the Mahomedans in the province'. The Viceroy was quick to perceive the dissatisfaction of the Muslims and decided to pay an official visit to Dhaka to assuage the aggrieved community. A deputation of high-ranking Muslim leaders, among whom were Sir Nawab Salimullah, Nawab Syed Nawab Ali Choudhury and A K Fazlul Huq, met him on  January 31, 1912 and expressed their apprehension that the annulment would retard the educational progress of the major community. In response, the Viceroy acknowledged that education was the true salvation of Muslims and that the government would recommend to the Secretary of State the constitution of a university in Dhaka.
This was confirmed in an official communiqué on  February 02, 1912. Many Hindu leaders were not happy with the government's intention to set up a university in Dhaka. On February 16, 1912 a delegation, headed by advocate Dr Rash Bihari Ghosh, along with the Hindu zamindars of Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Faridpur and Mymenshingh, met the Viceroy and expressed the apprehension that the establishment of a separate university in Dhaka would promote 'an internal partition of Bengal'. They also contended, as was recorded in the Calcutta University Commission report later, that "Muslims of Eastern Bengal were in large majority cultivators and they would benefit in no way by the foundation of a university".
The opposition by the Hindu intelligentsia was not the only hurdle in the implementation of the plan for the new university. Many complex legal and material issues were to be examined. After obtaining the approval of the Secretary of State, in a letter on April 04, 1912, the government of India invited the government of Bengal to submit a complete scheme for the university, along with a financial estimate. Accordingly, through a resolution of May 27, 1912, the government of Bengal appointed a 13-member committee, headed by Robert Nathan, a barrister from London, to draw up a scheme for Dhaka University. The committee acted with speed and submitted its report on December 24 which was circulated next day to the relevant quarters for comments. On March 01, 2013, influential members of the Calcutta University Senate at its ninth meeting strongly opposed the establishment of a university in Dhaka and condemned the Nathan Committee recommendations. However, the Secretary of State approved it in December 1913. Then the First World War intervened, creating acute financial stringency for the government.
The inordinate delay in the project being undertaken caused worries in the minds of Muslim leaders. Nawab Syed Nawab Ali Choudhury raised his voice on April 14, 1914 while inaugurating the Presidency Mohamedan Education Conference. To cool down such sentiments, the government formed a committee, headed by W W Hornell, to ascertain the reasons behind the backwardness of Muslims in education. Hornell engaged one of his key colleagues in the Education Department, Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah, as a member of his committee. Two and a half years later, with no significant progress having been made, Nawab Ali Choudhury again raised the issue in the Indian Legislative Council on March 07, 1917. In response, the government spokesman reaffirmed the government's pledge to establish the university in Dhaka, but added that consideration of a bill already drafted would now have to wait for a report from the Calcutta University Commission, to which the Dhaka University scheme had been referred for advice regarding its constitution and management.
The Calcutta University Commission, formed in 1917 with Dr ME Sadler as its chairman, invited memoranda from noted intellectuals and educationists on 22 specific questions. In written responses to the major questionnaires, mostly related to the establishment of the university in Dhaka, Muslim leaders and educationists, such as Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah, were able to convince the commission of its importance. Thus the commission justified the setting up of a university in Dhaka. The commission agreed with the most parts of the Nathan Committee scheme and urged that the University of Dhaka be established without further delay.
Getting favourable recommendations from the commission, the government tabled the draft Dhaka University Act in the Imperial Legislative Council on  September 11, 1919 and invited comments on the draft Act from Calcutta University on September 23. The University Senate opposed the government move again and sent its protest resolution telegraphically to New Delhi. However, at its 14th meeting on November 01, 1919, the Senate formed a nine-member Senate Special Committee to review the draft Act. Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah, the lone Muslim member from East Bengal in the Senate, was included in the special committee. He supported the cause for the establishment of Dhaka University.
 The special committee submitted its report on November 27 along with a note of dissent from the Khan Bahadur who could not be in agreement with the propositions of other members. In his note of dissent he reiterated the reasons for the establishment of the university and justified safeguarding such provisions in the Act which should be treated as lifeblood for the sustainability of the university. Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah was vocal and intervened at appropriate stages while reviewing the Act, both at the committee meeting and in the senate proceedings. Most of his suggestions were adopted, with a few exceptions, in the Dhaka University Act 1920.
Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid, is a former                secretary to the government and              former chairman, National                      Board of Revenue.                   [email protected].