From Ahsan Manzil to BUET, DU, and DMC: Bringing the Nawabs’ Gifts Back to Light

A Nation That Forgets Its Benefactors: The Overlooked Legacy of the Dhaka Nawabs

 Ahsan Manzil, also known as the "Pink Palace," was the official residence of the Nawab of Dhaka. Today, it serves as a museum, symbolizing the legacy of the Dhaka Nawab family, which significantly contributed to the establishment of institutions like Dhaka University and BUET.

In the early 20th century, several of Bangladesh’s premier institutions were founded on the generosity and vision of the Dhaka Nawab family. Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah of Dhaka and his contemporaries donated land and funds that enabled the creation of top educational establishments. Yet today, the nation seldom remembers these benefactors. This article revisits the Nawabs’ contributions, particularly to the University of Dhaka (DU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and Dhaka Medical College (DMC) – and examines why their legacy has been largely forgotten. Short memories of such generosity raise the question: What kind of nation are we if we do not honor those who laid the foundations of our education?

 Nawab Salimullah’s 600-Acre Gift and the Birth of Dhaka University

In 1912, as plans were afoot to establish a university in East Bengal (now Bangladesh), Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah – the Nawab of Dhaka – emerged as a key patron of the idea. He donated 600 acres of land from the Dhaka Nawab estate for the proposed University of Dhaka. This large endowment in the heart of Dhaka included the Nawab’s gardens and court areas that today encompass parts of the DU campus, such as the famed Shahbagh precinct and Madhur Canteen. Other Muslim aristocrats joined the cause as well; for example, Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury of Tangail mortgaged part of his estate to raise funds for the new university. These selfless acts of charity provided both the land and capital necessary to get Dhaka University off the ground.

Thanks to this generosity, the University of Dhaka opened its doors on July 1, 1921, becoming the first university in what is now Bangladesh. It started with several halls of residence, one of which – Salimullah Muslim Hall – was later named in honor of Nawab Salimullah, commemorating his pivotal role in the university’s founding. The establishment of DU was a landmark moment for higher education in East Bengal, made possible by the Nawab’s 600-acre land gift and the financial sacrifices of other prominent Bengal Muslims.

Institutions Built on the Nawab’s Endowment: The impact of Nawab Salimullah’s donation extended beyond just Dhaka University. The endowed land and funds became the foundation for three of Bangladesh’s top institutions:

• University of Dhaka (DU) – The country’s first university, established in 1921 on the donated estate, fulfilling a long-held dream for higher education in East Bengal.

• Dacca/Ahsanullah Engineering School – Originally a modest survey school (founded 1876), it was expanded with Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah’s financial support (Salimullah’s father) and renamed the Ahsanullah School of Engineering, which later evolved into BUET.

• Dhaka Medical College (DMC) – Established in 1946 as the premier medical college, it was built in Dhaka at a site and time that benefited from the Nawab family’s earlier endowment of land and emphasis on education. (Notably, another institution – Sir Salimullah Medical College, founded later – was even named after Nawab Salimullah, reflecting his contributions, though it is a separate college.)

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In short, Nawab Salimullah’s waqf (endowment) and the philanthropy of his peers directly enabled the physical and financial foundation of Dhaka’s major educational centers. As one Bangladeshi news outlet observed, “thanks to their selfless charity... today Bangladesh has its three top institutions of higher education” – DU, BUET, and DMC.

Convincing the British and Overcoming Kolkata’s Opposition

The path to establishing Dhaka University was not smooth. The proposal faced stiff resistance from the political elites of Calcutta (Kolkata), who resented the idea of a new university in the eastern region. Early in the 20th century, many Hindu bhadralok (elites) of Calcutta openly protested against a university in East Bengal, derisively suggesting it would educate the “uncouth, working class” of the east. This elitist opposition was a major obstacle – indeed, historians note that the “powerful opposition of Hindu leaders” in Kolkata was one of the key reasons the Dhaka University project was delayed after 1911.

Against this backdrop, the Nawab of Dhaka and other Muslim leaders had to lobby the British colonial authorities to make the university a reality. Nawab Salimullah took the lead in advocating for East Bengal’s educational needs. He appealed to the British Viceroy (Lord Hardinge) in 1911–1912, stressing the importance of a university in Dhaka for the Muslim-majority province. In January 1912, when Viceroy Hardinge visited Dhaka, Salimullah and a delegation of 18 prominent Muslim leaders from East Bengal presented their case for establishing Dhaka University – and succeeded in securing a pledge from the Viceroy to set up the institution.

Not only did they persuade the British, but they also had to counter the narratives coming from Kolkata. In March 1912, at a conference in Calcutta, Nawab Salimullah delivered a forceful rebuttal to those who opposed the creation of Dhaka University. He publicly refuted the Calcutta leadership’s arguments, emphasizing the necessity of a separate university to serve the people of East Bengal. This advocacy was crucial in overcoming the “contempt and disappointment” expressed by the Calcutta delegation that met the Viceroy to block the new university. Ultimately, the British Government formed the Nathan Committee in 1912 and approved the Dhaka University scheme by 1913, largely thanks to the insistence and convincing of Nawab Salimullah and his allies. The Dhaka University Act was passed in 1920, and the university formally opened the next year – a victory against the odds and opposition.

From Survey School to BUET: Nawab Ahsanullah’s Educational Legacy

While Nawab Salimullah championed Dhaka University, his family’s contribution to technical education is equally noteworthy. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), today the nation’s leading engineering school, traces its roots to a 19th-century survey training school in Dhaka. This Dhaka Survey School, established in 1876 to train land surveyors, might have remained a small colonial technical institute had it not been for the patronage of the Dhaka Nawabs. In 1905, Nawab Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah (Salimullah’s father) provided generous financial support that greatly expanded the school’s capabilities. After Nawab Ahsanullah’s death, his son Salimullah carried out his wishes by releasing further grants in 1902 to develop the school. In recognition of this philanthropy, the institution was renamed the Ahsanullah School of Engineering in 1908.

The Ahsanullah Engineering School went on to offer diploma courses in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering, producing much-needed technical manpower. Over the decades, it grew in stature, becoming Ahsanullah Engineering College under Dhaka University in 1948, and eventually evolving into an independent engineering university (EPUET) in 1962, which was later renamed BUET after Bangladesh’s independence. In summary, the Dhaka Nawab family’s endowments were instrumental in the birth and growth of BUET. As noted in historical records, Nawab Salimullah is counted among the founders of both the University of Dhaka and the prestigious Ahsanullah School of Engineering (BUET’s precursor).

It is also worth noting that BUET’s campus itself sits in the vicinity of Dhaka University on land that was part of the old Nawab estate and Ramna area redevelopment in the early 20th century. To this day, BUET honors Nawab Ahsanullah’s contribution in name – one of its student residence halls is the Ahsanullah Hall, explicitly named after the Nawab of Dhaka who funded the institution’s early development. This stands as a quiet reminder of the Nawab family’s role, even if few outside the university know the hall’s historical namesake.

Legacy in Dhaka Medical College and Beyond

The Dhaka Nawab family’s philanthropic influence on education extended to healthcare education as well. The Dhaka Medical College (DMC), established in 1946, benefited indirectly from the educational infrastructure and land resources that the Nawabs’ endowment had set in motion decades earlier. While DMC was a government initiative in late British India, its location in Dhaka, adjacent to the university area, and its early development were part of the broader push to build modern institutions in East Bengal, a push that the Nawabs had catalyzed. The very notion of establishing specialized institutions in Dhaka (be it a university, engineering school, or medical college) can be traced back to Nawab Salimullah’s 1911 demands to the British for Dhaka’s university and higher learning facilities, including medical and legal education. The realization of DMC in the mid-20th century thus stands on the shoulders of that earlier advocacy.

It is telling that in independent Bangladesh, one of the leading medical colleges was named after Nawab Salimullah: Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC), formerly the Mitford Hospital Medical School, was renamed in 1962 to honor the Nawab’s contributions to healthcare and education. SSMC is a separate institution from DMC, but its renaming reflects a recognition that Nawab Salimullah’s legacy in promoting education and public welfare deserved to be memorialized, at least in the decades closer to his era.

Beyond universities and colleges, the Dhaka Nawab family supported many other civic causes. They funded schools and madrasas, patronized colleges in Aligarh and elsewhere, and even contributed to hospitals in Dhaka and Kolkata. In essence, the Nawabs practiced what was known as waqf – dedicating portions of their wealth to charitable and educational trusts. This tradition of endowment laid the groundwork for much of Dhaka’s modern educational landscape.

A Forgotten Debt: Lack of Recognition Today

Despite this rich legacy, Bangladeshi national memory has largely neglected the Nawab family’s contributions. As one Daily Star article observes, “Bangladesh’s national history and identity are indebted to these endowments, yet Bangladeshi people have largely forgotten this culture of charity and social welfare”. The grand acts of philanthropy by Nawab Salimullah and others are seldom taught with prominence in our history books or celebrated in public discourse.

Within the institutions that owe their existence to the Nawabs, there is scant recognition as well. Dhaka University maintains the Salimullah Hall and has occasionally acknowledged its founding benefactors, but Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, in particular, has very few visible tributes. An alumnus of BUET lamented that during his years there, he never saw any event or program honoring the Dhaka Nawabs’ memory. Indeed, apart from the Ahsanullah Hall (named for Salimullah’s father), no building or hall at BUET bears the name of these founders, nor is their story prominently displayed for students. Similarly, Dhaka Medical College has no direct commemoration of the Nawab who made higher education in Dhaka possible. This lack of acknowledgment is striking when one considers that without the Nawabs, these institutions might not have been built at all.

Why does this amnesia persist? One reason may be the passage of time and changes in political narratives – the contributions of colonial-era Muslim aristocrats like the Dhaka Nawabs do not neatly fit into the post-independence national story that emphasizes different heroes. Additionally, after the abolition of the Nawab Estate in 1952, the once-influential family lost its prominence and much of its property; subsequent generations did not maintain the same public profile, making it easier for the public to forget their forebears’ deeds. The concept of waqf and large private charitable endowments also faded from practice, as colonial and later government authorities took over many such assets. Over the decades, the narrative of how DU or BUET started became a footnote, overshadowed by later events in Bangladesh’s history.

Yet, revisiting these facts is important. Remembering Nawab Salimullah and his peers is not about romanticizing feudal lords, but about giving credit where it is due. Their vision and generosity had a lasting, concrete impact on Bangladesh’s intellectual and professional development. The very first generation of Bengali engineers, doctors, and academics who trained in Dhaka owe their institutions to the Nawabs’ philanthropy. As beneficiaries of those institutions, we as a nation have a moral obligation to honor and remember such benefactors.

Conclusion

Over a century ago, the Dhaka Nawab family invested in Bangladesh’s future by donating land and money to build educational institutions. Those institutions – Dhaka University, BUET, Dhaka Medical College, and others – went on to become pillars of our nation’s progress. It is a sad irony that the benefactors behind these pillars have faded into obscurity in the public mind. A nation that forgets its donors and pioneers risks losing sight of the values of gratitude and philanthropy.

To answer the poignant question posed: “What kind of people are we, as Bangladeshis, if we ignore the legacy of those who helped build our country?” We should strive to be people who remember and respect our benefactors. Incorporating the stories of Nawab Salimullah and the Dhaka Nawabs into our educational curricula, naming or renaming facilities after them (as was done with Salimullah Hall and SSMC), and holding commemorative events are small but meaningful steps. Such recognition would not only rightfully honor the Nawab family’s contributions but also inspire current and future generations to the same spirit of generosity and vision for the public good. In celebrating these forgotten donors, we remind ourselves that the progress of our nation has been – and can be – built on acts of benevolence and foresight, something we should neither ignore nor ever forget.

Sources:

1. Md. Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, “WAQF - A FORGOTTEN LEGACY,” The Daily Star, February 23, 2018.

2. Rasheek Tabassum Mujib, “The conception and birth of Dhaka University,” The Daily Star, July 2, 2021.

3. Banglapedia: "Salimullah, Khwaja," National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, June 2015.

4. Banglapedia: "Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology," June 2021.

5. Wikipedia: "Khwaja Salimullah", Wikipedia (accessed Oct 2025); "Salimullah Muslim Hall", Wikipedia (accessed Oct 2025); "BUET", Wikipedia (accessed Oct 2025). (These provide additional historical details and verifications.)