DUET marks National Revolution and Solidarity Day with a call for unity in the spirit of November 7

Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) observed National Revolution and Solidarity Day today. Various programmes were held throughout the day on the university campus on Saturday to mark the occasion.

The programme began at 9am with the hoisting of the national flag and the university flag. At noon, a special prayer was held at the university's central mosque for the welfare, peace and prosperity of the country and the nation. In the afternoon, a discussion meeting was held in the seminar room of the Shaheed Abu Saeed administrative building.

The chief guest at the discussion was the university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Engineer Mohammad Iqbal. The special guest was Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Engineer Ruma. The meeting was chaired by the university's Registrar (additional charge), Professor Dr Md Mostakur Rahman. The keynote paper was presented by Dr Md Masud Parvez, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics.

In his address as chief guest, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Engineer Mohammad Iqbal said November 7 is a significant and multidimensional day in the history of Bangladesh. On this day in 1975, against the backdrop of a political crisis, a historic coming together of soldiers and ordinary people took place. Through it, the then army chief, Major General Ziaur Rahman, was freed from captivity and later played an important role in the leadership of the state.

Mohammad Iqbal added that the lesson of National Revolution and Solidarity Day is to realise the importance of unity, patriotism and collective responsibility in times of national crisis. Learning from history, the future generation must be inspired to build a prosperous and self-reliant Bangladesh on the basis of national unity, mutual trust and democratic values.

He also highlighted the contributions of martyred President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to the establishment of DUET. He also recalled the contribution of the late president of the Teachers' Association, Professor Dr Md Sirajul Haque Molla, and prayed for the peace of his soul.

Calling on DUET to make a more effective contribution to national development through education, research, innovation and the development of skilled human resources, the Vice-Chancellor said teachers, students, officers and staff must strengthen their professional dedication, mutual cooperation and institutional unity to achieve that goal.

In her address as special guest, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Engineer Ruma said that by understanding the significance of National Revolution and Solidarity Day, the new generation must cultivate patriotism, responsibility, humanity and mutual empathy.

She said students are not only future engineers or technologists; they are also important partners in the state and society of tomorrow. Alongside academic knowledge, they must therefore acquire ethics, social responsibility and leadership qualities.

In his keynote paper, Assistant Professor Dr Md Masud Parvez of the Department of Mathematics outlined the political and military crisis of 1975. He said Major General Ziaur Rahman was freed through the sepoy-people uprising. Under his leadership, Bangladeshi nationalism, multi-party democracy and the philosophy of self-reliance later gained importance at the state level.

Dr Masud Parvez said the spirit of November 7 should be remembered with the resolve to build a developed Bangladesh, holding on to national unity, independence, sovereignty and democratic values.

In his presidential address, Registrar (additional charge) Professor Dr Md Mostakur Rahman said the spirit of national solidarity becomes meaningful only when it is reflected in personal conduct, social relations and institutional activities. Mutual trust, responsibility and collective effort among teachers, students, officers and staff are essential for the progress of the university.

Also speaking at the discussion were DUET's Deputy Director (Vehicles), Engineer Md Harun Al Rashid, Employees Association General Secretary Md Nazrul Islam, and Md Abdul Kader on behalf of the students. Deans of various faculties, heads of departments, directors, office heads, teachers, students, officers and employees attended the day-long programme.