At around 8:30 pm on 15 October 1985, during heavy rain, the roof of the hall's television room collapsed. The room was crowded with students, staff and guests watching the popular BTV drama Shuktara. Forty people were killed on the spot and more than a hundred were injured. The University of Dhaka observes a day of mourning in their memory.
The century-old auditorium had once been the Assembly Hall (Parishad Bhaban) of the then East Pakistan province before being handed to the university and used as Jagannath Hall's television room.
After the tragedy the government funded a new building, named October Smriti Bhaban in memory of those who died. The Smriti October memorial pillar was inaugurated on 29 November 2014.
Gallery
Source: Picture of Jagannath Hall — collected by Sanatan Vidyarthi Samsad, University of Dhaka (Jagannath Hall October Tragedy, October Building, Smriti October)