৭:১১ AM
"I've been observing with grave concern that recently a professor of social science department of Rajshahi University AKM Shafiul Islam was killed . . . I' m shocked with the nation for such an incident," said the President while speaking at the 4th Convocation of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) here.
He said a distinguished scholar of an institution of highest seat of learning will be killed in this way is not expected to anyone.
"I urge the authorities concerned to immediately arrest the killers and give them exemplary punishment for the gruesome killing" said the President.
Congratulating the new graduates on the occasion of the convocation, Abdul Hamid advised the graduates to devote themselves to the nation building activities.
"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 also giving you responsibility towards your family, society and above all towards the country and nation," said the President who chaired the convocation as the chancellor of the university.
Abdul Hamid said education is the first stair to build a nation. Education doesn't mean only economic and social development, rather it also means developing students intellectually with non-communal spirit, and above all awakening deep patriotism, he added.
The President stressed the need for combining joy with education and said that affection for people, humanity, culture, tradition, and knowledge and technology-based techniques must be infused in education.
"We need an education that makes creative and enlightened people, not the certificate-oriented education or the kind of education which rely on reading of textbooks," he added.
Abdul Hamid said education is the key to entering the world of enlightenment which has thousands of passages. "I hope the education will open windows of the locked chamber of darkness and superstition . . . education will teach us to shun narrowness . . . we want education that will make bridge among the people," he added.
The objective of the higher education is to disseminate knowledge and innovation of new knowledge apart from building skilled manpower, the President said, adding, "To this end, country's universities have to play 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".
The President laid especial emphasis on research and said there is inextricable link between education and research because new knowledge is created through research which plays important role in fulfilling the existing demands of the society.
"So the university teachers have to engage themselves in research," he added.
Terming the present age as the age of information technology, the President said that there is no alternative but to develop efficient engineer to face the challenges. Bangladesh has huge human resources, he said and hoped that they would contribute to the national development once they will be able to enrich themselves with knowledge of information technology.
Noted educationist Dr Jamilur Reza Chowdhury delivered the convocation speech while RUET vice-chancellor Dr Rafiqul Alam Beg gave welcome speech.
A total of 2513 graduates were conferred degrees at the convocation.
