Glorious 15 years of JU Science Club

Glorious 15 years of JU Science Club

Tarek Aziz

25 August, 2019 12:00 AM

On August 17, 2005, Bangladesh experienced a traumatising event as a total of 500 bombs at 300 locations in 63 out of 64 districts across the country were blasted simultaneously on this day. The heinous and noxious incident left at least two dead and 115 injured.

A group of science students from Jahangirnagar University gets shocked hearing about this type of bad practice of science and takes a resolution of spreading the beauty of science in Bangladesh as well as the global arena. The brightest minded cluster of the university campus launched the science-based organization ‘Jahangirnagar University Science Club' on this day with the slogan ‘committed to exploring the truth' with a view of creating awareness among the general people about science and technology and as time passed by, the vision of the organization has broadened at a greater extent as the technology was yet to boom up in Bangladesh and there were no available easier means of sharing scientific knowledge 15 years ago.

The organization was nothing but a cluster of guys with potential at the beginning but on its 15th anniversary, August 17, 2019, the scenario is quite different because the situations have drastically changed. The club has propelled long glorified pathways and hauled a numerous number of achievements with the overturns of times. The members of the club have been increased by 50 folds than that of the beginning. However, the organization celebrated its 15th anniversary on the university campus. JUSC advisors Professor Abdur Rab and Associate Professor Sharif Hossain cut the cake along with the current and former members of the club to mark the anniversary program special. Each and every member was very excited and delightful on the gala evening. The former members were sharing their experiences to build the club up and the current members were expressing unyielding resolution to move on with the club to shape Bangladesh as a scientifically minded nation.

Kamal Pasha of Computer Science and Engineering, Abdullah Al Masud, Ruhul Amin, and Dipa of Physics, Mizanur Rahman Akash of Zoology Department worked as the light-bearers to start the journey of this club. Kamal Pasha was the founding President while Abdullah Al Masud was the secretary. Later, Abdullah Al Masud was the President in the following committee.

The founding president Kamal Pasha is working as the chairman of the Computer Science and Engineering department at Cumilla University, Abdullah Al Masud as the teacher of Brac University, Ruhul Amin as UNO of Hathazari Upozilla under Chittagong district, Mizanur Rahman Akash as a Ph.D. student in a Chinese university.

Though the journey of the club was slow at the beginning because of financial, manpower, and other extensive crises, they shaped the club successfully. Later, a constitution was introduced for functioning the club smoothly keeping some definite purpose and aims at focus.

Rashedul Islam Raj brought out a breakthrough for the club in 2014. He organized a Math Olympiad program where around 700 school level students of Savar areas took part in the maiden endeavor. The mathematics department of Jahangirnagar University assisted in organizing the second edition of the Olympiad observing the successful maiden venture. Saniul Islam Sayeed introduced the Science Festival in this club in 2016.

Though the Math Olympiad and Science Festival are the mega-events for Jahangirnagar University Science Club, this club organizes a good number of career-oriented workshops and training programs along with some social and voluntary works on a regular basis.

JU Science Club has become the registered member of the National Science and Technology Museum under the Ministry of Science and Technology last year as the recognition of its outstanding performance and playing a significant role in promoting science in Bangladesh.

The research team of this organization has started a research project on the recent Dengue outbreak in Bangladesh. JUSC has a science writers' forum who writes on a regular basis on their blog site and in the leading science magazine of Bangladesh. Besides, the organization has a good number of hardworking and enthusiastic fellows who represent the club in different competitive events and they are preparing themselves for the best suits in the international scientific competitive events too. 

The writer is a student at the Chemistry Department of Jahangirnagar University. He can be reached at tarekju45@gmail.com