Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday hoped that the students of Dhaka University will make an important contribution from their respective positions in building a 'Sonar Bangladesh' being imbued with the spirit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by 2041.
"The students of Dhaka University will make an important contribution from their respective positions to building a hunger-and-poverty-free 'Sonar Bangladesh' being imbued with the spirit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by 2041 by applying their acquired knowledge, talent and creativity with patriotism, honesty and devotion," she said.
The premier said these in a message issued on the occasion of the 53rd convocation of the Dhaka University (DU), the oldest university in Bangladesh, to be observed today.
"I am happy to know that Dhaka University, a 100-year old educational institution known as the 'Oxford of the East', is celebrating its 53rd convocation," she said.
On this occasion, she also greeted all the graduating students, their parents, current and former students, respected faculties and officials and staff of the university.
About Bangabandhu, she further said that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a young student of the law department of this university, was the first to understand the fact that the state system that was created in this subcontinent following the partition of British India in 1947 was not a safe home for the Bengali speaking people.
Bangabandhu played an active role in building the movement to make Bangla as the state language and eventually became the father of the Bengali nation, she added.
Noting that Dhaka University has witnessed many movements under Bangabandhu's leadership, she said the students-teachers, officials-employees of Dhaka University were the frontline fighters in the language movement in 1952 and the autonomy movement based on the six points declared by the Father of the Nation in 1966.
The students-teachers-officials and employees of this university played a leading role in the Great War of Liberation in 1971 at the call of the Father of the Nation, she continued.
Many of them were martyred, Sheikh Hasina said, adding that the students-teachers-employees of this university have been continuously leading from the forefront in all the post-independence democratic movements, the development of non-communal cultural entity and the fulfillment of the aspirations of the people of the country.
Mentioning that the Awami League government is working tirelessly for the overall development of the education sector to ensure equal opportunities for quality education for all, the premier said various timely-initiatives have been taken by the current government in the last 14 years.
Thus, commendable success has been achieved in the education sector, she said, adding that the number of public and private universities in the country has been increased to bring the facilities of higher education to the doorsteps of the people.
"Our government has taken and implemented various initiatives for the development of education and research in Dhaka University," she stated.
Dhaka University's incomparable contribution to socio-economic development and the creation of Bangladesh will always be remembered, she said.
The premier wished all the success of the 53rd convocation of the glorious Dhaka University.
