A tin-roofed building, wooden tables, and the scent of tea and sweets, this was Madhur Canteen in the 1940s. Students would gather here to debate, to plot, to dream. Little did they know that these conversations, echoing through the canteen's halls, would become the blueprint for Bangladesh's freedom movements and national identity. As the nation heads to polls on February 12, students here today could be plotting the country's course, just as their predecessors once did.
Since its founding in 1921, Dhaka University has been at the centre of political life in Bengal, Pakistan, and later Bangladesh. Madhur Canteen, named after Madhusudan Dey, Modhu da, was at the heart of this activity. From its early days under Dey's father, Aditya Chandra Dey, the canteen became a meeting point for students and intellectuals. It was a space where movements were born and leaders emerged.
The Cradle Of Movements
From 1948 onward, Madhur Canteen saw many political movements:
- Language Movement (1948 and 1952): Students met at the canteen to discuss the imposition of Urdu and strategies to preserve Bengali. Key protests and marches, including February 21, 1952, were coordinated here.
- Employee Protest (1949): Fourth-class staff at Dhaka University protested against poor working conditions, with student leaders using Madhur Canteen as a planning hub.
- Revolt Against “Kala Kanoon”: Laws perceived as suppressive were resisted through student organisation meetings at the canteen.
- 1969 Mass Uprising: Preceding the fall of Ayub Khan, students convened here to plan protests and rallies across Dhaka.
- Non-Cooperation Movement (1971): Ahead of the Liberation War, student organisers plotted civil disobedience from Madhur Canteen.
During Operation Searchlight in 1971, the Pakistani military targeted the canteen and Madhusudan Dey. He and several family members were killed, and the building was nearly destroyed. Yet the canteen survived.
Leaders Who Walked Its Halls
Madhur Canteen has hosted many figures who shaped Bangladesh.
- Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Future founding father of Bangladesh, frequented the canteen with Tajuddin Ahmad before 1949.
- Tajuddin Ahmad: Key leader in the Liberation War, often met fellow activists here. He was the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
- Mujahudul Islam Selim: Former DUCSU vice-president and president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, credits Madhur Canteen for his early political development.
- Buddhadeb Basu: The poet and intellectual, remembered the canteen as a place of discussion and friendship.
- Cultural Icons: Zainul Abedin, Kamrul Hasan, Abdul Ahad, Nazir Ahmed, Fateh Lohani, Sikandar Abu Zafar, Shamsuddin Abul Kalam, and Syed Waliullah were known to gather here.
Students practised songs, poetry, and theatre here. Debates about philosophy, international politics, and literature were held here alongside cups of tea and mishti. Eating on credit became a tradition. Students often repaid debts only after establishing themselves.
Madhur Canteen Today
After independence, Arun Kumar Dey, Madhusudan's son, took over. He continued the canteen's traditions, remembering the stormy anti-Ershad protests of the 1980s and the debates between student leaders of different parties.
In 1995, a sculpture of Madhusudan Dey was installed in front of Madhur Canteen. Shamsur Rahman's long poem Madhusmriti is engraved nearby.
In December of last year, the university canteen bore witness to anti-India protests. On December 25, slogans were again raised during a large-scale procession at Dhaka University following Friday prayers. The demonstration was led by supporters of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent figure in the Inquilab Mancho, whose assassination earlier that month sparked widespread unrest across the nation. The canteen at the heart of the university was also vandalised.
Today, the canteen still serves food and tea. Arun Kumar Dey begins his day by placing flowers before the portraits of his parents and operates Madhur Canteen until late evening, per The Dhaka Tribune.
