Prime Minister Tareque Rahman stated that Dhaka University students have led all democratic movements in the country, from the Language Movement to the student-mass uprising of 2024. He mentioned that democracy was restored in the country through much sacrifice and bloodshed. Now it is time to consolidate this democracy.
Tomorrow, July 1, marks the 105th founding anniversary of Dhaka University. The Prime Minister made these remarks in a special message issued on Tuesday (June 30) ahead of ‘Dhaka University Day’.
In his message, the Prime Minister stated that the celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of Dhaka University, renowned as the ‘Oxford of the East’ and one of the oldest and most traditional higher education institutions in the subcontinent, is a matter of immense pride. On this occasion, he extended his heartfelt greetings and congratulations to the university family, including teachers, students, guardians, and current and former members.
Tareque Rahman noted that since 1921, Dhaka University has played a pioneering role in the expansion of higher education, knowledge cultivation, and research in the country. Its students have led all struggles, including the historic Language Movement, the Great War of Liberation, the anti-autocracy movement of the nineties, and the anti-fascist student-mass uprising of 2024. Thousands of promising students sacrificed their lives in various anti-autocracy and anti-fascist movements over time. He believes that this year’s theme for University Day, ‘Restoration of Democracy and Dhaka University in Higher Education,’ is highly timely in the current context.
Addressing the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the head of government stated that there is no alternative to modernizing the traditional education curriculum in this age of artificial intelligence and automation. The university must determine new strategies to develop future generations into skilled human resources. Education should not be merely certificate-dependent; instead, it should emphasize practical skills and applied education by incorporating subjects like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, programming, and nanotechnology.
The Prime Minister further said that the recruitment of skilled teachers must be ensured by giving utmost importance to merit and academic qualifications, and the culture of research at the university must be strengthened. He also urged Dhaka University’s alumni, established both domestically and abroad, to become more actively involved in the university’s education, research, and innovation activities, similar to other countries worldwide, including Britain.
Emphasizing the need to enhance students’ skills, the Prime Minister stated that to secure a place in the global job market, students must be proficient in a third language in addition to Bengali and English. Alongside technological proficiency, they must be inspired by moral education. Young people should be nurtured as entrepreneurs right from the campus so that they can create their own employment opportunities instead of chasing jobs. Highlighting that Dhaka University can play a historic role in this regard, he wished for the overall success of all programs for University Day.