President M Abdul Hamid asked all concerned, including university authorities, to remain alert against corruption and nepotism on the campus.

"Corruption is one of the major barriers to country's overall development and progress... So, everyone should be aware against corrupt practices," he told the 'Sixth Convocation-2023' of Jahangirnagar University (JU) on Saturday.

Chief Justice of Bangladesh Justice Hasan Foez Siddique spoke as the convocation speaker.

Abdul Hamid also called upon the teachers and students to do politics staying above the party affiliation and maintaining a healthy academic environment on campuses.

"The vice-chancellor, the teachers and the students use to practice the freedom of thought. They also do practice and actively participate in politics but a fair and clean politics is expected.

Beyond the studies, you can involve yourself in various co-curricular activities such as politics, social service and cultural acts. But there is no compromise with the education," he added.

Expressing grave concern over the world-ranking as no Bangladeshi university was found even among the first 1,000 universities in the ranking, the President said only certificate-based education cannot bring development for the country and its people.

He told the vice-chancellor and teachers that the teaching and research activities are their main and most important responsibilities while the foremost duty of a student is to study and acquire knowledge.

President Hamid called for taking pragmatic steps to improve the quality of education.

Every student should be educated in ethics, values, patriotism and nationalism along with academic education, he said.

Advising the graduates to play a positive role in the welfare of the country and nation, the President said, "Not only individuals, the families, the society and the national development should also be focused."

Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul