The government is considering the establishment of a dedicated university for the seven major government colleges in the capital, with the proposed name July 36 University.
This recommendation was put forward by a committee led by University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman, Professor S. M. A. Faiz, and may be adopted should students endorse it.
On Thursday, Professor S.M.A. Faiz, along with three members of the committee, met with Education Adviser Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud to discuss the proposal. During the meeting, July 36 University emerged as a preferred choice, receiving positive feedback from the Education Adviser. However, Professor Faiz emphasised that the students' opinion would be decisive.
The seven government colleges under this initiative include Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women's College, Government Bangla College, and Government Titumir College. There are about 200,000 students and more than 1,000 teachers in these colleges.
In response to ongoing student protests, university authorities announced on Monday that these colleges would once again be separated from Dhaka University. Consequently, from the 2024–25 academic year, new students will no longer be admitted to these institutions under Dhaka University.
The government is actively developing plans to transform these seven colleges into an independent university, with a UGC-led committee overseeing the transition. Several meetings have already taken place between UGC officials and student representatives to discuss the restructuring process.
Further discussions were held today with the Education Adviser regarding potential names for the new university, alongside considerations for forming an interim administrative body to oversee the transition.