Heritage festival and exhibition held at RU
A daylong heritage festival and exhibition was held today at the Varendra Research Museum (VRM) of Rajshahi University (RU), celebrating the country's rich cultural traditions, archaeological resources and diverse communal heritage. The event showcased traditional handicrafts alongside 25 significant artifacts from the VRM collections, as well as historical and traditional items representing Bangladesh's past. RU's VRM organised the festival with support from UNESCO, the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) and the British Council.
RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Saleh Hasan Naqib presided over the programme. RU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin Khan, UNESCO Chair at Durham University in the United Kingdom Prof Robin Kanigham, Dhaka University Liberal Arts Professor Shahnaz Husne Jahan, and British Council Bangladesh Country Director Stephen Favors also addressed the event. VRM Director Prof Kazi Mustafizur Rahman welcomed participants.
In his remarks, Prof Naqib said the traditions of the Barind tract stand as a vivid example of Bangladesh's cultural diversity. He noted that VRM-established in 1910 as the first museum in the erstwhile East Bengal and now operated by RU-remains a popular destination, particularly for archaeology enthusiasts.
Located in front of Hetamkhan Sadar Hospital in central Rajshahi, the museum preserves evidence of civilizations spanning several thousand years, including the Pala, Sena, Maurya and Gupta periods. The museum was founded in 1910 through the efforts of Zamindar Kumar Sarath Kumar Roy of the Dighapatia royal family of Natore, lawyer-historian Akshay Kumar Maitreya and Ramaprasad Chandra, a teacher at Rajshahi Collegiate School.
The VC added that from the late 19th century, an aware section of society became increasingly committed to preserving history, tradition, literature and culture. This movement contributed to the establishment of the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, which played a key role in collecting and promoting nearly forgotten literary, historical and archaeological materials.
