The government plans to transform Rabindra University into a world class one like Shanti Niketon or Bishwa Bharati.

Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud said this on Wednesday while briefing reporters after the regular Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

ECNEC Chairperson and Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus presided over the meeting.

The planning adviser said that the chief adviser has directed the authorities concerned to take effective steps as a project on the university' was placed at the meeting.

The meeting sent back the projecy and asked the relevant authorities to prepare a new plan for the University.

Rabindra University is the 40th public university in Bangladesh. The university is named after the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore. The university is located in Shahjadpur Upazila of Sirajganj district, which is famous for the poet's memory.

On July 26, 2016, the 'Rabindra University, Bangladesh Act 2016' was passed by the National Parliament. In 2018, the academic activities of the university started in the academic year 2017-2018 with 113 students in the undergraduate (honours) class in three departments under two faculties.

Currently, teaching is going on in five departments under four faculties at Rabindra University. The faculties and departments are- A. Faculty of Arts: 1. Bengali, B. Faculty of Social Sciences: 2. Sociology; 3. Economics; c. Faculty of Business Education: 4. Management; and d. Faculty of Music and Dance: 5. Music. The number of degrees awarded is eight- 1. BA (Hons), 2. BSS (Hons), 3. BBA 4. BMU 5. MA 6. MSS 7. MBA and 8. MMUS. It has been decided to introduce MPhil and Ph.D degrees under various faculties of the university.

The total number of students at Rabindra University is more than 2000. Students of various academic years are studying at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the departments of Bengali, Sociology, Economics, Management and Music.

At present, the total number of teachers in the university is 34, officials are 49 and the number of employees is 106.

The academic activities of the university and the central library are being conducted by setting up temporary campuses in the buildings of three higher educational institutions in Shahjadpur Upazila.

The process of acquiring the proposed site and constructing the permanent campus of Rabindra University on 225 acres of land of Rabindranath Tagore's estate, surrounded by natural beauty at the confluence of three rivers, at a place called Buripotajia, near Shahjadpur Upazila town of Sirajganj district, was underway.

Adviser Mahmud said that there are so many universities in different districts across the country. “But I do not know the future of these universities, we are not preparing any new plan for infrastructural development of these universities,” he said.

He also mentioned that the interim government is not also encouraging these universities to increase their students and teachers.

The adviser said that as the Rabindra University is a different one, it will not be a regular local university. “There will be no profit by that move,” he added.

He said that the university authority has prepared a mega plan of 500 acres of land for the University.

“But we cut that to 100 acres of land, there will be three water reservoirs and two rivers, the Vice-Chancellor of the university had told me,” he said.

He also said that the VC also apprised him that after completing the project it would be a very good place for the tourists also.

“There is a Rabindra Museum in there which will be linked with the university,” he said.

The planning adviser said that for all these matters there should a very good architectural plan and it should be transformed in to a world standard good university.