President Abdul Hamid on Sunday said the university is not only a teaching centre, but also the highest institution for higher education and research.
Noting that the young generation is the source of unlimited power of the nation, he said the youth must be liberal, independent-thinker and humanitarian and free from the influence of bad culture to use their strength and potentials in building the country.
The President came up with the remarks while addressing the '4th Convocation Ceremony' of Islamic University, Kushtia, UNB reports.
Abdul Hamid, who is also Chancellor of the Islamic University, laid emphasis on greater exercise of freethinking and cultural activities at universities to check militancy, intolerance and other negative acts.
"The nation has been observing with deep concern that the negative activities like intolerance, extremism, militancy and arrogance at different higher educational institutions. I think such acts have emerged and spread for lack of exercise of freethinking and cultural activities," he said.
"The role of universities is very important in building the students as complete human being and making them global citizens."
The President stressed the need for the practice of creative activities such freethinking, discussions on different national and international issues, nation-building activities, contemporary-thinking, cultural activities and sports alongside the regular curriculum activities at the universities.
He said such extracurricular activities make students not only competent and perfect ones, but also bring them out of the cycle of ignorance and flourish their intellectual power and spirit.
Pointing at the new graduates, the President said, "Today, you're recognised highly educated citizens and proud members of the most enlightened group of the country. You've a lot of responsibilities for working for the welfare of the country and the nation."
Hamid suggested them to be optimistic and confident in their self-power. "Don't follow anyone thoughtlessly. Explore new knowledge of in the new age following our culture and values. "Let's change ourselves positively so that we can lead the world community in the days to come."
Mentioning that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in his historic 7th March speech declared that Bangladesh will be a secular state, the President urged the students and teachers to materealise his dream in a collective way for the sake of the country and nation.
He said the communal harmony and coexistence is the thousand-year-old tradition of the country. "It must continue. Secularism does not mean irreligion. There's secularism not irreligion in this land."
Pointing at the university authorities, Abdul Hamid said the universities have important responsibility and duty for producing competent citizens to build a modern nation.
He said the nation is largely dependent on universities for diversified research works to create effective new knowledge and innovational power to address the national problems.
"Our teachers will have to provide the students with prudent guidelines to learn science education and its effective use, and achieve technological skills. They'll have to build a highly-educated young generation as per the requirement of the nation," the President said.
Stating that the nation will face many difficult challenges in the days to come, he said the national will have to show its farsightedness and wisdom to ensure quality science education, achieve international-level skills in the ICT sector, enhance industrialisation and turn the unskilled manpower into skilled ones.
"I strongly believe that the country will be free from various problems and its development will be intensified, if you can successfully apply the knowledge you have earned," the President told the new graduates.
Hamid congratulated the new graduates, researchers, teachers and all the members of the university family on the occasion of the convocation.
University Grand Commission Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan, Convocation Speaker Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal, and Vice Chancellor of the Kustia Islami University Prof Dr Harun ur Rashid Askari also addressed the convocation chaired by the Chancellor of the University President Abdul Hamid.
Earlier the President unveiled the plaqueof newly-built mural of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman beside the main entrance gate of the university campus.
