At the heart of Dhaka University's campus, the Teacher-Student Centre, or TSC, stands as not just an architectural landmark. It is a cultural and extracurricular center, a student sanctuary, and a testament to Bangladesh's rich heritage and spirit of life and liberty.
Since its establishment in 1961, TSC has been the beating heart of university life, bringing students and teachers together into a space designed for growth, dialogue, festivals, culture, and unity.
The story of TSC is woven into the political, social, and historical context of Bangladesh. Built with funding from the Government of Pakistan and the Ford Foundation, the TSC complex occupies a historic site, formerly the grounds of the Sujatpur Palace, a Nawab's palace. TSC's proximity to Suhrawardy Udyan, once a racecourse ground and now one of Dhaka's largest public parks, echoes its deep connection with Dhaka's past.
TSC's architectural design is an inspired blend of modernist and traditional styles, created by Greek architect
Constantinos Doxiadis. In keeping with Bangladesh's climate and community-based culture, the building is arranged around open courtyards, gardens, and an artificial fountain, one side of which is covered with a butterfly canopy that helps keep the building cool even in Dhaka's intense summer heat.
To the east of the main TSC building is a small Greek tomb, built in 1915, with inscriptions in classical Greek. The monument offers a rare connection to Dhaka's multicultural past and is one of the last remnants of the city's small Greek community from the last century, adding historical depth to the TSC complex. Along with that, there are two old Hindu monasteries in the swimming pool site.
Beyond its architectural charm, TSC is cherished as a haven for students to take a break from academic life. Here, formal education is complemented by a vibrant cultural, social, and intellectual environment.
Various student organizations operate from TSC, including the Dhaka University Journalists Association, Dhaka University Scout Den, Dhaka University Debating Society, Dhaka University Film Society, Dhaka University Quiz Society, Dhaka University Photographic Society, Dhaka University Readers Association, Dhaka University Environment Society, Dhaka University Research Society, and others. Together, these groups create a sense of community and shared purpose, bringing students from diverse backgrounds together in collaboration and friendship.
After the building was established, every type of social and political movement, including the War of Independence and the July Uprising, became a meeting place where students, professors, and activists gathered to discuss and plan for the country's well-being. This legacy of resistance and unity still lives on, as students use the same space to discuss contemporary issues.
During national crises, such as the devastating floods of 1987 and Cyclone Sidor in 2007 and the recent country's worst floods in 2024, TSC became a rallying point for student-led mass relief efforts, organizing and distributing food, medical supplies, and other resources from this central location. TSC also serves as the headquarters of Badhan, a blood donation organization run by Dhaka University students who coordinate regular blood donation drives to support local hospitals.
Renowned for its cultural programs, TSC’s various organizations regularly organize exhibitions, film screenings, reunions of ex-students, poetry readings, and art competitions, creating an open platform for budding artists, poets, filmmakers, and activists. The largest Bengali film festival takes place here during the full month of the language movement, February. Here the central orientation of the novice students is arranged every year.
On the front outside of TSC, you will find several types of tea rooms with various kinds of teas where students take the test of hot teas and enjoy their academic lives chatting with their friends. The teas here are very familiar to over the capital. If you are in the corridor of the TSC, you will see various types of groups of students who may be chatting, practicing songs and dances, taking preparation for their presentations and assignments, and so on.
On the backside of the swimming pool area, there is an open school run by the students for the facility-derived street children. It is one of the best vivid places in the Dhaka University campus and all over the city, which will not be able to be recognized and guessed without part of it.
The memories of university lives can be vague, but not the days of TSC for the students of the University of Dhaka.
