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The teachers, students and officials of Rajshahi University celebrated the university鈥檚 72th 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 the national and the university flags, and releasing pigeons and balloons.
Following the inauguration, teachers, students and staff led by the education adviser brought out a colourful procession with banners and festoons that paraded the main roads of the campus.
Later, a discussion meeting was held at the university鈥檚 senate building where the education adviser addressed as the chief guest with RU vice-chancellor Professor Saleh Hasan Naqib in the chair.
Pro-vice chancellor (administration) Mohammad Main Uddin and treasurer Professor Matiar Rahman addressed the discussion meeting as the special guests with Professor emeritus AKM Azharul Islam as the key speaker.
In his speech, adviser Professor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar said that due to fifteen years of authoritarian rule, many national institutions - including the universities - were on the verge of losing their autonomy.
Stating that student-led movement ousted the authoritarian regime, he emphasized the need for qualitative reform across all sectors, particularly in education.
鈥楩or this transformation, we need competent and committed educators, he said, expressing hope that the university鈥檚 teachers would move forward with conscious dedication to this goal.
The education adviser said that Bangladesh 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 - capable of producing a skilled and employment-ready workforce -rebuilding the state will not be possible.
鈥業f we fail to reach this essential goal, our work in nation-building will remain incomplete,鈥� he added.
VC Professor Saleh Hasan Naqib said that despotism corrupted the human spirit and destroyed one鈥檚 sense of identity.
鈥楿niversities are not isolated islands, and prolonged autocratic rule has tainted the university environment as well, weakening its self-awareness,鈥� he said, emphasising that the freedom achieved through the mass uprising must be channelled into the nation鈥檚 development.
鈥榃e are now at a turning point. At the university, we want to prepare innovators and discoverers who can meet the needs of the market through higher education and research. We want graduates who will be committed to national development, while also representing the country in global markets with their intellect and creativity,鈥� he added.
Later, guests unveiled a commemorative publication as part of the day鈥檚 celebrations marking the university鈥檚 72nd founding anniversary.
The day鈥檚 programme also features a friendly football match and a traditional tug-of-war competition scheduled for 4:00pm at the university stadium.
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.