BSS, Dhaka :
President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday urged all to work together to turn the private universities into a real place of learning.
“We all have to work together to make the private universities a genuine place of acquiring knowledge . . . educational institutions can never be a profit-making establishment,” he said while speaking at the 3rd Convocation of Uttara University here.
Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and Vice-Chancellor of Uttara University Professor Dr M Azizur Rahman also addressed the convocation. Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Dr AK Azad Chowdhury was the convocation speaker.
President Abdul Hamid asked the private universities to offer more facilities, including scholarship, to meritorious students who come from poor families and backward communities. He thanked the authorities of Uttara University for giving the poor and meritorious students scope to study without fees.
Congratulating the new graduates on the occasion of the convocation, Abdul Hamid advised the graduates to devote themselves to the nation building activities.
Highlighting various achievements in various social indicators, he said Bangladesh had been able to maintain over 6 percent economic growth over the last few years despite global economic downturn. Remarkable successes had also been achieved in woman and child health, women empowerment, agriculture, education, health, ICT, social welfare and communications, said the President who chaired the convocation as the chancellor of the university.
Abdul Hamid said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a dream of building a hunger and exploitation free ‘Golden Bengal’ which is yet to be materialized.
“The present government has been implementing ‘Vision 2021’ to fulfill this dream of Bangabandhu and I hope that the young generation would work for the welfare of the motherland being enriched with knowledge, science and information technology,” he said.
“You, the graduates, are the important human resource of the country . . . today’s convocation is giving recognition to your achievement and on the other hand, it is giving you responsibility towards your family, society and above all towards the country and nation,” said the President.
“I hope that the education would open windows of the locked chamber of darkness and superstition, education would teach us to give up narrowness . . . we want education that will create bridge among the people,” he added.
About the objective of the higher education, he said the main objective of education is to disseminate knowledge and innovation of new knowledge apart from building skilled manpower. “To this end, country’s universities have to play a role in creative activities, practicing free-thinking and flourishing the freedom of thinking so that students can develop themselves with non-communal spirit and leadership quality,” he added.
The President urged the university teachers to engage themselves in research, saying that new knowledge is created through research which plays an important role in fulfilling the existing demands of the society.
