Hajee Muhammad Danesh Science and Technology University

Hajee Muhammad Danesh Science and Technology is one of the top ranking universities established in North Bengal. It is known to be the first ever science and technology university of Rangpur division. This university was named after the leader and hero of Tebhaga Movement Hajee Mohammad Danesh. This university landmarked it’s journey in 1976 as an Agricultural Extension Training Institute.

Later, in 1988, it was upgraded to an undergraduate-level Agricultural College under the affiliation of Bangladesh Agricultural University. On 11 September 1999, a declaration was made to elevate the college into a full-fledged university. As a result, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) was officially established through a presidential decree issued on 8 April 2002.

Situated on 130 acres of land, the university currently offers degrees in 22 disciplines under 8 faculties.

Who is Hajee Muhammad Danesh?

Hajee Muhammad Danesh was one of the leading Bangladeshi Politician of British india. He was born in Dinajpur district. Danesh finished his master’s degree in History from Aligarh Muslim University. He also completed degree in law in 1932 and joined the bar of Dinajpur district court.

Contribution:

Haji Mohammad Danesh was a prominent political leader and peasant activist, best known for leading the Tebhaga Movement in northern Bengal. He played a key role in organizing the Bengal Peasant Convention in 1942, after which he was arrested and imprisoned. Initially joining the Muslim League in 1945, he was expelled in 1946 due to his continued leadership of the Tebhaga Movement and was arrested again, but released in 1947. He then became a history professor at Dinajpur Surendranath College.

In 1952, he founded the Ganatantri Dal, becoming its president. He was elected to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1954 as part of the United Front, but was jailed after the government's dismissal. After his release in 1956, he joined Maulana Bhashani’s National Awami Party (NAP) in 1957 and served in key leadership roles. He opposed the Six-point Programme of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and resigned from NAP in 1971, though he supported the War of Liberation.

Post-independence, he founded the Jatiya Gana-mukti Union in 1973 and later joined BAKSAL in 1975. After BAKSAL's fall, he revived his party and later formed the Ganatantrik Party in 1980, which merged with General Ershad's Jatiya Party in 1986. He served as chief adviser to the Jatiya Krishak Party, contested the 1986 election from Dinajpur but was defeated.

Haji Danesh died in Dhaka on 28 June 1986, and is chiefly remembered as the leader of the Tebhaga Movement.