Emerging University in Pabna

It is learnt from the daily Star of 26^th January 2009 that the Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) is going to admit 200 students under two faculties. The subjects that will be taught are Computer Science & Engineering (CSE), Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Mathematics under the faculty of Science and Engineering. The other faculty is Business Studies with the subject; business administration. The subjects chosen are appreciable in respect of global demands. Perhaps this is the third university of science and technology in the northern region of Bangladesh after liberation. The main purpose of establishing PUST has not been mentioned in the news paper. Surely, there are good reasons of establishing such a technology based university in a district town. It’s also true this university can be an effective tool in the northern region for creation of digital Bangladesh as desired by Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of the government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.

There are other two public universities in Rajshahi city in addition to those three public universities in the region. What impressed me much is the name as Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) that was the name of the first science and technology university in north Bengal. The university was established about a decade ago in village-Thengamara under the district of Bogra. Name of that university also was PUST (Pundra University of Science and Technology) and the academic activities were started under two similar faculties. The only difference between the two; Bogra based PUST was a private university and the Pabna based PUST is a public university. PUST at Bogra was shut down along with other seven universities by the BNP government at the end of their tenure.

PUST was established in rural atmosphere with the objective of empowering the new generation with modern technology ICT in cooperation of the science and technology related international organizations like Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) and the Texas-USA based ICTE. Other objectives were to reach the benefits of digital technology to the people living in islands (chars) of the river Jamuna and for those living in Chalan bill passing through three district of northern region. Due to closure of PUST, the hopes of thousands of people of the region were nipped in the buds. Due to ignorance of some people, closure of a technology university is just like suicide for others. PUST in Bogra is a great lesson for PUST in any other region.