President Abdul Hamid yesterday called upon all concerned to consider education as a weapon of development and progress of the nation and its citizens, not to use it as a tool for profit making.
“Consider education as the weapon for development of the country and its people . . . Country’s people expect that education won’t be used for profit making business entities anyway,” he said while addressing the 16th convocation of the East West University (EWU) yesterday afternoon.
At the outset of his speech, the President paid respect to all language and Liberation War martyrs and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and recalled their contribution.
President Hamid, also the chancellor of the university, stressed the need for building up patriotic and educated human resources ensuring the world standard and quality education in each university.
He said all universities must ensure quality of higher education to create creative and enlightened people, not the certificate-oriented education or the kind of education which rely on reading of syllabus-based textbooks.
Congratulating the new graduates on the occasion of the convocation, Abdul Hamid advised the graduates to devote themselves to the task of nation-building along with their professional activities.
“You, the graduates, are the future rudders of the nation. You will ensure a smooth and easy life for others as your universities have made your academic life easier,” said the President.
He asked the new graduates to remember this country and its contribution, saying that family, this society as well as the country have contributed a lot to bringing them to this position.
He hoped that they (students) would be able to create an imitative instance of honesty, efficiency and patriotism through applying their respective potentialities.
President Hamid said the ‘varsity authority has the responsibility not only for teaching the students in the classes according to textbook’s syllabuses, but also creating the scope of training on humanity, patience, social responsibilities, norms and values.
Welcoming the expansion of the scope to higher education countrywide, he said imparting higher education can help flourish the inner potentialities, personality, thoughts, social responsibilities and social awareness in a student.
But the President expressed grave concern over the recent emergence of extremism and terrorism which have posed as great threats to the human civilization.
“It’s really a matter of concern that a very few students of some renowned universities and children of some affluent families were found involved in fanaticism and antireligious activities,” President Hamid mentioned.
The President urged the teachers, students, civil society representatives and others concerned to fight unitedly and coherently against terrorism and militancy from their respective positions.
Bangladesh is becoming a “Sonar Bangla” under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as per the path shown earlier by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu, the President added.
