Emeritus donates savings to DU fisheries department

Professor Mohammad Shafi
Professor Mohammad Shafi

Professor Mohammad Shafi, an emeritus of Dhaka University, donated all his savings to construct a building for the fisheries department. The five-storey building will be exclusively for the students of the fisheries department.

The classes for the department are now being held in the classrooms of the zoology and microbiology departments. Dhaka University sanctioned Tk 5 million in the year 2000 for constructing a building for this department, but it was not enough for a five-storey building.

Professor Shafi said the construction work was held up for 15 years as more funds were required, so he decided to pay from his savings. Construction work has resumed with the professor's Tk 7 million.

The fisheries department began back in 1998 with the help of professor Shafi. He organised the entire department. He retired in 2005, and now is an emeritus at the age of 78.

"You can live your life in two ways, one, you can have an ideal life, or you can run a happy life. If you run a happy life you will only concentrate on the present, but if run an ideal life you will think of all past, present and future. I'm constructing this building for the future" said the emeritus.   

Professor Shafi not only gave all his savings for the new building, he also sold a plot of land that he had in Savar to support the construction.

The Dhaka University vice -chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said this would set an example for the society and inspire the wealthy to contribute to the education sector.