Education Minister's Claim That Ziaur Rahman Made Dhaka University the 'Oxford of the East' Is False
Education Minister Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan's claim that Ziaur Rahman built Dhaka University as the 'Oxford of the East' is historically false. DU earned that reputation in the 1920s-1940s under British rule, more than 50 years before Ziaur Rahman came to power. Ziaur Rahman himself acknowledged the reputation had already declined by the time of his presidency.
False
দাবি যাচাই
Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman built Dhaka University as the 'Oxford of the East'
What was claimed?
On Tuesday, 12 May 2026, at the workshop "Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: Roadmap to Sustainable Excellence," organised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) at Dhaka University, Education Minister Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan said in his chief-guest speech: "Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman built Dhaka University as the 'Oxford of the East'." Milan, a BNP politician, took oath as Minister of Education and Primary & Mass Education on 17 February 2026 in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's cabinet. His statement was reported by Rtv Online, Jagonews24, TNN Agency, and Saradin News.
Verdict: False — Why?
The Education Minister's claim is historically incorrect. The documented record:
1. Dhaka University earned the 'Oxford of the East' reputation in the 1920s-1940s under British rule. Bangladesh's national encyclopaedia Banglapedia states clearly: "Initially, the teachers and students of the university worked hard to build up an outstanding record of academic achievement, earning for itself the reputation of being the 'Oxford of the East'." [1]
2. Ziaur Rahman was born in 1936; came to state power in 1977. Per BBC and Britannica, Ziaur Rahman was born on 19 January 1936 in Bagbari, Bogra. [2] When Dhaka University was earning the 'Oxford of the East' reputation (1921 to the 1940s), Ziaur Rahman was either unborn or a child. He held no policy-making position in Bangladesh before 1977.
3. Dhaka University's own website is unambiguous about the source. Its Department of Accounting history page states: "The door of the Dhaka University, popularly referred to as the Oxford of the East, was opened for the first time on 1 July 1921." [3] The reputation was attached to the university from inception.
4. Ziaur Rahman himself acknowledged the reputation pre-dated him. An archived Jugantor opinion column recounts that, while visiting Dhaka University, the then-President Ziaur Rahman said: "Dhaka University was once known as the Oxford of the East; but that state no longer exists." [4] He spoke of the reputation in the past tense — i.e., as something already lost by his time.
5. The reporting outlet itself ran a correction. Rtv, which originally published the Minister's statement, posted a follow-up on its own Facebook page noting: "Ziaur Rahman was born in 1936. Dhaka University was first called 'Oxford of the East' during British colonial period. The title was in use from the 1920s onwards." [5]
Historical Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1912 | Nathan Committee formed to draft a scheme for the university |
| 1920 | Dacca University Act passed by Indian Legislative Council |
| 1921 (1 July) | University opens — First VC Sir P.J. Hartog (former Academic Registrar, University of London) |
| 1920s–1940s | 'Oxford of the East' reputation established |
| 1936 | Ziaur Rahman born in Bogra [2] |
| 1947 | Partition — reputation still intact |
| 1971 | Liberation War — 19+ DU teachers martyred |
| 1973 | Dhaka University Order 1973 (Mujib govt) — autonomy + democratic governance |
| 1977–1981 | Ziaur Rahman's presidency — DU widely seen as having already lost the title |
Who actually earned the reputation?
- Sir Philip Joseph Hartog — first Vice-Chancellor, former Academic Registrar of the University of London (17 years)
- Sir A. F. Rahman — second Vice-Chancellor (first Muslim VC)
- Ramesh Chandra Majumdar — first Dean of the Faculty of Arts, the 'Doyen of Bengali historians'
- Satyendra Nath Bose — physicist (Bose-Einstein statistics), taught at DU in the 1920s
- In 1936, the university awarded honorary D. Litt degrees to Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Rabindranath Tagore [6]
Conclusion
Education Minister Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan's claim that Ziaur Rahman built Dhaka University as the 'Oxford of the East' is historically false. The university earned this title from the 1920s onwards, during British rule, through the rigorous academic standards established by its founding faculty and administrators — more than five decades before Ziaur Rahman came to state power. Ziaur Rahman himself acknowledged, on record, that this reputation had already declined by the time he was president.
তথ্যসূত্র (8)
University of Dhaka — Banglapedia
en.banglapedia.org
Initially, the teachers and students of the university worked hard to build up an outstanding record of academic achievement, earning for itself the reputation of being the 'Oxford of the East'.
Ziaur Rahman | Biography, Assassination, & Facts — Britannica
britannica.com
Ziaur Rahman was born January 19, 1936, in Bagbari, East Bengal, India. He served as president of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981.
Department of Accounting History — Dhaka University
du.ac.bd
The door of the Dhaka University, popularly referred to as the Oxford of the East, was opened for the first time on 1 July 1921.
Jugantor editorial — Ziaur Rahman at Dhaka University
jugantor.com
Then-President Ziaur Rahman came to a function at Dhaka University... He said, 'Dhaka University was once known as the Oxford of the East; but that state no longer exists.'
Rtv Official Facebook Page — Corrective post
facebook.com
Ziaur Rahman was born in 1936. Dhaka University was first called 'Oxford of the East' during British colonial period. The title was in use from the 1920s onwards.
University of Dhaka — Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Established in 1921 under the Dacca University Act 1920 of the Indian Legislative Council. It is the oldest active university in Bangladesh.
A brief history of the University of Dhaka — The Daily Star
thedailystar.net
The University of Dhaka opened its doors on July 1, 1921, with Mr P. J. Hartog as its first Vice-Chancellor. Within a few years of its establishment, the university became the intellectual centre of Bengal.
Historical Outline — University of Dhaka
du.ac.bd
Official year-by-year institutional timeline starting from 1912 (Nathan Committee). University formally opened in 1921.
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