Portrait of Jagannath Hall Donor Kishorilal Roy Chowdhury Unveiled at DU

The newly constructed portrait of Kishorilal Roy Chowdhury, the generous donor and education enthusiast behind Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University, along with the inauguration of the auditorium named in his memory, was held on Monday (6 April).

The portrait was unveiled in a colourful ceremony at the hall’s auditorium in the evening. The construction of the portrait was funded by the Jagannath Hall Alumni Association.

Dhaka University Treasurer Professor Dr. M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury attended the event as the chief guest and formally inaugurated both the portrait and the auditorium. Hall Provost Professor Debashish Pal presided over the programme. Teachers, alumni, and student leaders of the university were present.

Speakers recalled Kishorilal Roy Chowdhury’s immense contribution to the establishment of this historic hall. They described his land donation as unparalleled.

Among others, Jagannath Hall Alumni Association President Tapan Chandra Majumdarr, General Secretary Nibas Chandra Majhi, Gulshan Bani Puja Foundation President Jitendra Lal Bhowmik, and former member of the National Board of Revenue Asim Kumar Roy spoke at the event. Members of the Roy Chowdhury family, including Bharati Rani Roy Chowdhury, along with leaders of the hall unit of Chhatra Dal and the hall students’ union, also attended.

Kishorilal Roy Chowdhury was born in 1848 into a zamindar family in Baliati, Manikganj. In memory of his father Jagannath Roy Chowdhury, he donated land in 1884 for the establishment of Jagannath College, which later became Jagannath Hall. Though he passed away in 1925, his contribution to education in the country remains unforgettable.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from the convener of the organising committee, Professor Dr. Nepal Chandra Roy.