The teachers, students and staff of Rajshahi University celebrated the university鈥檚 72nd founding anniversary on Sunday amid enthusiasm and festivity.
Education adviser professor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar inaugurated the day鈥檚 events minutes after 10:00am in front of the university administrative building by hoisting national and university flags, and releasing pigeons and balloons.
Following the inauguration, the teachers, students and staff led by the adviser brought out a colourful procession with banners and festoons that paraded the main roads on the campus.
Later, the adviser addressed a discussion as chief guest held in the university鈥檚 senate building.
RU vice-chancellor professor Saleh Hasan Naqib presided over the discussion.
In his speech, adviser professor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar said that due to fifteen years of authoritarian rule, many national institutions鈥� including the universities鈥� were on the verge of losing their autonomy.
鈥榃e may have political beliefs and support for political parties, but we cannot allow those to affect our educational institutions,鈥� he said, adding that the teachers must ensure that the university environment is not disrupted by the adverse impact of political parties.
The adviser also emphasised the need for qualitative reform across all sectors, particularly in education.
The education adviser said that the country must now embrace a new set of challenges to eliminate poor standards, irregularities, and disorder in the education sector.
He stressed that in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the nation must understand that without quality education rebuilding the state would not be possible.
鈥業f we fail to reach this essential goal, our work in nation-building will remain incomplete,鈥� he added.
Professor Saleh Hasan Naqib said, 鈥楿niversities are not isolated islands, and prolonged autocratic rule has tainted the university environment as well, weakening its self-awareness.鈥�
The VC also said that the freedom achieved through the mass uprising must be channelled into the nation鈥檚 development.
Later, guests unveiled a commemorative publication as part of the day鈥檚 celebrations marking the university鈥檚 72nd founding anniversary.
Rajshahi University started its journey with only six departments, 20 professors and 161 students on this day in 1953. At present, the university has 12 faculties, 59 departments, 6 institutes, 1,187 teachers, 33,300 students, 17 residence halls and 5 higher research bureaus and centres.
