DHAKA, Oct 25, 2023 (BSS) - President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed the initiative of Dhaka University (DU) authorities to confer Honorary Doctor of Laws degree on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman tomorrow through a special convocation.
 
On the eve of the special convocation, they issued separate messages and greeted the officials concerned, including its vice-chancellor, academic council members, teachers, students and employees of the Dhaka University for taking the initiative of conferring the degree on Bangabandhu.
 
According to DU officials, the university authorities are going to award the degree to Bangabandhu marking the Mujib Year, the birth centenary of the country's founding father.
 
"I welcome the initiative of conferring the Doctor of Laws degree on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by Dhaka University," the President said.
 
Undoubtedly, it is a commendable initiative and an expression of Dhaka University authorities' humble respect and heartfelt love for the Father of the Nation, he added.
 
Noting that Dhaka University, known as the Oxford of the East, is one of the largest educational institutions in the country, Shahabuddin said the progress of the country's educational institution, which started in 1921 with the promise of free intellectual practice, is still developing, overcoming many ups and downs.
 
Bangabandhu dreamt of emancipating the country's common people from this university campus, the President said, adding, from the great Language Movement to the Liberation War, the students of this university have led all democratic movements and struggles and in every field of socio-economic development of the country.
 
He (Bangabandhu) wanted to advance the country's higher education system to a unique height by making Dhaka University a centre for practicing knowledge and science, Shahabuddin said.
 
"Investment in education is the best investment for the development of a country or society - there can be no bigger investment than it," the President quoted Bangabandhu as he made the statement ahead of 1970's general election and said Bangabandhu's that thought is timeless and eternal.
 
"I do believe that Dhaka University authorities are always aware of responsibilities and duties," he said, adding, as it played a leading role in every mass movement of independent Bangladesh, the university took an initiative to free itself from stigma by giving back Bangabandhu's studentship.
 
"Now the university has again emerged as a pioneer by taking imitative to confer the most prestigious title on Bangabandhu," the President said.
 
Emphasizing on implementing Bangabandhu's unfinished works and initiatives immediately, Shahabuddin said, "This unique tribute is being given to the Father of the Nation to gain the strength to materialize the incomplete dreams of the Father of the Nation".
 
"I sincerely thank all those involved in this initiative by Dhaka University," he added.
 

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the decision taken by Dhaka University to confer the Doctor of Laws degree on the greatest Bangalee of all time Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has a historical significance and simultaneously it is highly commendable.
 
"On this occasion, I extend my sincere greetings and congratulations to the Vice-Chancellor, honorable members of the Academic Council, teachers, students and employees of the university," she said.
 
The Premier said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a young student of the law department of this (DU) university, was the first to understand the fact that the state system created in this subcontinent following the partition of British India in 1947 was not a safe abode for the Bangla-speaking population.
 
First of all, Bangabandhu played an active role in waging the movement for making Bangla the state language, she said, adding, he (Bangabandhu) eventually became Bangabandhu, the father of the Bangalee nation, the great architect of independence, the great hero of Bangalee's history and the greatest Bangalee of all time.
 
This university has witnessed many movements under his (Bangabandhu) leadership, Sheikh Hasina said, adding, the students, teachers, officers and employees of Dhaka University were the frontline fighters in the Language Movement of 1952 to protect the nation's language-based autonomous spirit and the movement for autonomy based on the six points announced by the Father of the Nation in 1966.
 
The students, teachers, officers 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 said, adding, many of them embraced martyrdom.
 
The students, teachers and employees of the university have been continuously leading all the post-independence democratic movements, the development of non-sectarian cultural entities and the fulfillment of the aspirations of the common people of the country from the forefront, the Prime Minister said.
 
"Since its inception till today, this great educational institution has been enriching the entire nation with knowledge and science by creating an unprecedented combination of thinking and humanity with unique skills," she added.
 
At the far-sighted guidance of the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Hasina said, the University Grants Commission (UGC) was formed in 1973 through the announcement of the University Ordinance, main objective of which was to create an environment for freedom of thought and free-intellectual practice in the universities.
 
The Awami League government is working relentlessly for overall development of the country by giving the highest priority to the education sector to ensure equal opportunities of quality education for all, she said.
 
"Various timely initiatives taken by our government in the last 15 years have resulted in commendable achievements in the education sector," the Premier said, adding, the number of public and private universities in the country has been increased to reach the facilities of higher education to the doorsteps of the people.
 
"To overcome the impact of coronavirus, we have emphasized on technology-based modern and science-based education system to accelerate the development of education," she added.
 
The government has taken various steps to ensure the benefits of ICT and digital technologies in education management and educational programmes to create efficient manpower skilled on science and information technology to tackle the challenges of globalization and the fourth industrial revolution, the Prime Minister said.
 
"Our government has implemented various initiatives for the development of education and research in Dhaka University. Different dormitories and buildings have been constructed to solve the accommodation crisis of teachers, students, officers and employees of the university," she added.
 
"As a former student of this university, I hope that Dhaka University will create new horizons in the journey of spreading knowledge and light," Sheikh Hasina said.
 
"I believe that the students of Dhaka University will make an important contribution from their respective positions to build the hunger-free and poverty-free 'Sonar Bangla', dreamt by Father of the Nation, by 2041 by applying their acquired knowledge, intellect and creativity with patriotism, honesty and devotion," she added.
 
Awarding the Doctor of Laws degree to Bangabandhu is actually recognizing the development journey of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said.
 
"May this great initiative of Dhaka University be successful, we as a nation will be able to acknowledge our paternal debt to some extent," she added.
 
The President and the Prime Minister wished all-out success of the special convocation of the Dhaka University.