Sylhet Agricultural University celebrates 20th founding anniversary with procession and tree planting

Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) celebrated its 20th founding anniversary on Monday (November 2) with a colourful procession, tree planting and a day-long programme on its campus in Sylhet.

The day's programme began in the morning with the hoisting of the national flag, the release of balloons and pigeons, and the cutting of a cake. A colourful procession was brought out at 10:20am, joined by teachers and students, and a tree-planting programme followed.

A documentary titled 'Sylhet Agricultural University: Establishment, Achievements and Prospects' was screened as part of the programme. Guests were then welcomed with flowers, and the formal ceremony began with recitations from holy scriptures. A discussion meeting and an evening cultural programme were also part of the day-long events.

The ceremony was chaired by Professor Dr Mohammad Mahbub Iqbal, president of the university's National Day Celebration Committee-2026 and director of the student counselling and guidance office. The chief guest was Advocate Md Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, adviser to the Prime Minister for political and industries affairs and acting secretary general of the BNP.

The university's vice-chancellor, Professor Dr Muhammad Safi Ullah Mazumdar, attended as chief patron. The keynote speaker was Professor Dr Farhad Halim Donar, a member of the BNP's national standing committee and executive director of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation.

Special guests included Sylhet-2 MP and SAU syndicate member Mosammat Tahsina Rushdir Luna, Sylhet-3 MP Mohammad Abdul Malik, Sylhet City Corporation administrator and district BNP president Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury, Sylhet Development Authority chairman Rezaul Hasan Kayes Lodi, Sylhet WASA chairman and BNP assistant organising secretary Miftah Siddiqui, Sylhet Zila Parishad administrator Abul Kaher Chowdhury Shamim, Jalalabad Gas director Md Badruzzaman Selim, Sylhet metropolitan BNP president Nasim Hossain and general secretary Md Imdad Hossain Chowdhury.

Honoured guests included Agriculturist Association of Bangladesh (AAB) convener Dr Md Kamruzzaman Kaisar, member secretary Shahadat Hossain Biplob, SAU treasurer Professor Dr A.T.M. Mahbub-E-Ilahi and Dean Council convener Professor Dr Md Shahjahan Mazumdar.

In his speech as chief guest, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed said agriculture means farmers, and Bangladesh's economy still depends largely on the economy built around agriculture. He said agriculture is a sector of immense potential, and that in the coming days this university would produce leading agricultural scientists, while high-quality cold storage and farm machinery would be made in the country.

He added that even as farmland shrinks, more produce could be grown on less land, a large agricultural marketing system could be built to export products abroad, and the country could be lifted on the strength of agriculture-based industry.

Keynote speaker Professor Dr Farhad Halim Donar said a university's real success depends on its education, research, innovation and human-resource development. The progress Sylhet Agricultural University has made in agricultural education and research since its founding is highly significant, he said.

He said agricultural universities have a vital role in ensuring food security, modernising farming and improving farmers' living standards. SAU must play a leading role in facing the challenges of climate change, inventing modern farm technology and taking research knowledge to the field level, he said.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Safi Ullah Mazumdar said the Prime Minister had announced planting 250 million trees; the AAB has decided to plant 500,000 of those trees itself and offered on its own to plant trees at the university for the 20th anniversary. Everyone will work shoulder to shoulder under the slogan 'Bangladesh First', he said.