PUSTU Correspondent

Patuakhali Science and Technology University's (PSTU) the monumental sculpture 'Joybangla' square has been renamed as 'Mukta Bangla' after the July Uprising.

Former students of the university Dr. Sagirul Islam Majumder and Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Hossain said, 'We hold independence in our hearts, and every year on March 26, when we appear in front of 'Mukta Bangla', we get an idea of its greatness and specialness, we learn about the sacrifice and taste of independence of our previous generation.'

University Registrar (Acting) Prof Dr. Md.
Iktiar Uddin said, actually the sculpture attracts countless travelers everyday. The flower garden surrounding the sculpture has increased this beauty many times over. In addition to thousands of students of the university, thousands of visitors from home and abroad walk through the beautiful PSTU campus every day to enjoy the beauty and specialness of 'Mukta Bangla'.

In response to the question of what message the 'Mukta Bangla' sculpture actually gives us, the university's Vice-Chancellor Dr. Kazi Rafiqul Islam said, the sculpture gives a message of the great Liberation War, freedom struggle and victory to the new generation. They can get an idea of the glorious history that we have. The sculpture reminds us the long nine-month bloody struggle of the 1971 Liberation War. It also reminds us of the history of the liberation war of the fighting freedom-loving Bengalies he added.

Incidentally, since there was no significant memorial structure of the Liberation War in Patuakhali district before 2011, the Bangladesh University Grants Commission and Janata Bank funded the construction of the sculpture named 'Joy Bangla' at PSTU at a cost of Tk 8 lakh . The original statue is made of stainless steel and the initial two-step bastion has been given with red ceramic bricks. Black granite has been used to cover the altar of the statue. A symbolic freedom fighter made of stainless steel. Who has a rifle hanging on his shoulder, a towel tied on his head and a red-green flag with the map of independent Bengal in his hand. It was designed and beautifully sculpted by Hamiduzzaman Khan, a renowned sculptor of Bangladesh and former professor of the Department of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka.

It was inaugurated on March 30, 2011 by the then UGC Chairman Prof Nazrul Islam.