The Department of Arabic at the University of Dhaka: Its Golden Journey Over the Hundred Years.

Abstract

The University of Dhaka is the oldest and largest university in Bangladesh. It was not just a university for higher education in East Pakistan (at present- Bangladesh), but also an educational center that has been working to guide the people in their needs since its inception. This university was established in 1921 AD by the government of the British Empire to fulfill the various demands of the Bengali Muslims after the partition of Bengal in 1911 AD. In the early years of its founding, the University of Dhaka gained reputation so much that it was known as the "Oxford of East”. Its students and professors were playing an active and important role in educating the people of East Bengal and increasing the feeling of Bengali nationalism that begot freedom of the country. At the genesis of the university, department of Arabic began its journey led by the prominent nobles in the field of teaching Arabic language and literature. It was an important part of the university, which was known as the "Cornerstone of the University", as the first Vice-Chancellor of the University; P. J. Hartog (1864-1947) mentioned in his first speech in the Senate session on August 17, 1921AD. In this article, we will try to present the history of this department shortly. We adopted historical method in dealing with this phenomenon to reach the desired results.