Rokeya Memorial Center in Rangpur’s Payrabond union was integrated with Begum Rokeya University (BRU) through a Memorandum of Understanding.
This created new opportunities for research, preservation and academic collaboration centred on Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain.
Bangla Academy also announced plans to build a world-class specialised archive at the site.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday afternoon in the university’s syndicate room on Rokeya’s 145th birth and 93rd death anniversary.
It was signed by Vice Chancellor M Showkat Ali, poet and former Bangla Academy DG Mohammad Nurul Huda in the presence of university officials, faculty members and academy representatives.
Officials said the agreement enables joint initiatives on Rokeya studies, archival development and research, linking the memorial centre’s resources with the university’s academic infrastructure.
After the signing, Nurul Huda said the birthplace of Rokeya and the university named after her would now work together to advance scholarship. He said the academy feels encouraged to expand its activities and the university will gain new momentum through the collaboration.
Vice Chancellor M Showkat Ali said the memorial centre would now serve as a permanent hub for Rokeya research, literature and cultural practice in the north. He said teachers and students from Bengali and history departments would be able to conduct studies directly from her ancestral environment.
Earlier, a procession, discussion meeting and the unveiling of Rokeya Patha were held on campus. Speakers highlighted Rokeya’s lasting influence on women’s progress and social reform.
Students and teachers said Rokeya’s legacy continues to inspire women’s education and empowerment but stressed that gender discrimination still exists and must be eliminated.
Wreaths were placed at Rokeya’s birthplace in Pairaband by Bangla Academy, the district administration and various institutions. Rokeya enthusiasts also raised the long-standing demand to bring her remains from Kolkata, which Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Anamul Ahasan said would be examined.
Bangla Academy announced that a world-class archive will be established at the memorial centre to attract local and foreign researchers.
A three-day Rokeya Day programme, including memorial lectures and a fair, is underway in Payrabond.
