Shahidullah Hall Pond — the drowned spirits of Dhaka University

The old pond adjoining Shahidullah Hall at the University of Dhaka campus is one of the most talked-about haunted locations among Bangladeshi students. According to campus legend, the pond is haunted by the spirits of those who drowned in its waters over the decades — including students, staff, and during the country's turbulent political history, victims of violence whose bodies were disposed of in the pond. Students living in Shahidullah Hall have reported seeing figures standing at the edge of the pond at night, hearing splashing and cries for help from the water when no one is swimming, and feeling an unsettling pull toward the water after dark. In Bengali folklore, water spirits known as 'jol-pori' (water fairies) or malevolent 'petni' are believed to inhabit ponds and lakes, luring the unwary to their deaths. The Shahidullah Hall pond fits this archetype. The university campus, established in 1921 during the British colonial period and shaped by the tumultuous events of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, carries historical weight that adds depth to its supernatural legends. Students often share these stories during late-night study sessions, and the pond remains a place most avoid after dark.