Prime Minister Sets Rare Precedent by Walking Through DU Campus
Published : 13:01, 13 May 2026
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman created a rare precedent by walking from the Senate Building of the University of Dhaka to the Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium on campus, an occurrence officials described as unprecedented in the university’s history.
According to the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly, the Prime Minister began walking toward the Faculty of Social Sciences shortly before noon after leaving the Senate Building.
"I was with the Prime Minister during the walk. This is not only unprecedented in Bangladesh's history, but also in the history of Dhaka University, where a head of government walked freely through the campus to attend an event," he said.
The press secretary noted that in previous years, visits by heads of government to Dhaka University often witnessed protests, slogans, and even clashes. However, today’s atmosphere was markedly different, with thousands of students enthusiastically welcoming the Prime Minister.
Students waved at him, chanted slogans, and applauded as he walked across the campus.
Earlier in the day, at 10:00 am, the Prime Minister attended the inauguration of a daylong workshop titled *“Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: Roadmap to Sustainable Excellence”* at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building. The event was organized by the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh.
Although his vehicle was ready outside the Senate Building after the ceremony, the Prime Minister chose to walk to the next venue instead, prompting security personnel to remain on high alert.
The destination was the Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium at the Faculty of Social Sciences, where the Prime Minister later took part in an interactive question-and-answer session with students.
Convener of the event organizing committee, Morshed Hasan Khan, described the moment as historic.
“There has never been an instance of a Prime Minister walking through the university campus this way without a heavy security cordon. It was truly a memorable event,” he said.
Around 150 students attended the interactive session inside the auditorium, while many others who could not enter watched the program live on mobile devices from different spots around the campus.
