Bangladesh News

President Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday urged the politicians to build up a knowledge-based society by taking steps against the harmful sides of student politics.

“It’s time to take steps against the harmful sides of student politics. This is important to build up a knowledge-based society. And to make that happen, sincerity and sympathy of our political parties are needed. I would like to draw attention of the politicians in this regard,” he said.

The president was addressing the 43rd convocation of Dhaka University on its campus. An honorary doctor of laws Degree was conferred on Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus at the convocation.

Expressing deep concern over session jams, mainly in the country’s public universities, the president said: “Politics is not isolated from society. The universities and other educational institutions are also part of the society, but it is necessary to deeply think about at what level of the education sector the politics will remain.”

“Despite differences of opinion and ideology among you (the politicians), you have no lack in patriotism. Working for the people’s welfare is your aim. So, I request you to think about it (harmful sides of student politics) from the same point of view,” said the president.

He stressed the need for formulating rules with caution involving teachers, students, employees and guardians for the development of the country’s education.

“Though code of conduct, like the other institutions, is not needed for the universities, some cautionary measures should be taken so that people are not deprived of. Such code of conduct should be formulated through democratic process involving teachers, students, employees and the guardians,” he told the function.

He said the government must ensure the proper utilisation of money in universities as the big part of it comes from the people.

About the role of guardians in formulating rules, the president said judgment about a writer is never complete without the readers, and the teachers, though they teach, can not be the lone judges of education.

“If the teachers and employees claim that they are the only authorities to determine what is right and what is wrong, then the neutrality will be lost. Such attitude is bad for every institution. The welfare of the society lies in showing respect to the opinion of majority about the values of teachers and education,” the president said.

He stressed the need for learning English as the international language for effective communication both at home and abroad.

The president congratulated those who received Ph D and M Phil degrees, gold medallists and the graduates, and urged them to remain active throughout the life to maintain the quality of education in the country.