Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

H.E. Amb. Askar Mussinov, Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology, OIC

 Chief patron Prof. Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Honorable Vice-Chancellor of Islamic University of Technology,

Dr. Omar Jah, Honorable Pro- Vice Chancellor, IUT

Deans of the Faculties,

The Faculty Members,

The Newly Admitted Students,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As Salamu Alaikum

On this joyful day of the Freshers’ Reception of the Islamic University of Technology, 2021, first, I would like to express my thanks to the University authorities for inviting me to join this warm gathering. It is a great pleasure for me to attend todays’ program of this reputed university and welcome the students from different member states of the OIC who have got the opportunity to enroll in IUT. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the newly admitted students and their proud parents and guardians. I am sure that their expectation to have an enlightened education in order to build their dream future will not go in vain

          Excellences,

I recall with gratitude the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman whose historic participation in the 2^ndOIC Summit in 1974 brought Bangladesh into the fold of OIC as a sequel of which the IUT, a subsidiary organ of the OIC emerged in Bangladesh within a few years of our OIC membership. He believed that this organization should be the collective voice of Muslim World and it would work to promote international peace and harmony among various countries of the world.

At the time of establishment, the main objective of IUT was to help generally in human resources development in member states of the OIC, particularly in different fields of science and engineering education. IUT is continuously working to fullfill its mission by producing quality graduates where majority of them are now working in the member states of the OIC and attached in the enhancement of socioeconomic development of the Muslim Ummah.

We are passing through a period of rapid transformation in this fast- changing world of many challenges. Each country has its own way of coming to terms with this change. Bangladesh under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants to approach this change through “People’s Empowerment” and developing the agents of change.  This empowerment comes from skills, knowledge and technology. That is what the IUT is contributing to and its students are striving for. That is what the great scholars and scientists in Islam pursued in the past and gave the Muslim Ummah a glorious heritage. It is therefore, the students and the youth who are the agents of change to pursue knowledge and science, and work for a glorious future of the Ummah.

I am happy that IUT has started enrolling female students from the 2016-17 academic session with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s kind encouragement. OIC has also appreciated her for her Governments’ support in building a women’s dormitory in the campus. I believe that OIC would bring in necessary assistance for expansion and success of this new initiative by arranging funding for the second phase of the building project. We also appreciate the University’s efforts for digitization and development of linkages. I would suggest the IUT authorities to establish closer relationship with other seats of learning in relevant fields and take up schemes to enhance the quality and standard of the University’s education and degrees. I wish to see the institution turning into a center of excellence. 

Dear Freshers’

IUT provides well-planned curriculum delivered by qualified and talented teachers in a congenial academic atmosphere.I do believe that you, the newly enrolled students of the university, will uphold the vision of the institution and will prove yourselves to be successful in combining your academic learning and social responsibilities towards ensuring a brighter World.

Enrolling in an International university is a significant step of your life. I encourage you to make the utmost use of the IUT facilities during your academic life. Now is the time for you to gather knowledge in your specialized field. Education has the power to instill the ethos of a nation through the reinforcement of the national goals and destination. Education can uplift the morals of the students and turn them into not only successful person, but also responsible and conscientious human beings. I am sure that IUT will inculcate you with the values of social welfare, ethical perspectives and visions for a better world.

Dear, Faculty and Especially young students,

We at times take pride that we had famous scientists like Ibne Sina, Jabir Ibne Haiyan, Al-Farabi, Al-Rushd and in recent years, Noble Laureates Abdus Salam or APJ Abdul Kalam. Do you ever think that we have billions of Muslims with God given gifts like hands, mouth, brain, schools, society and the like.  But unfortunately, when we talk of recent innovations that are shaping and reshaping our life and living such as Cell phone, WiFi, GPS, or Computer, none of them have been innovated by a Moslem.  Why? I don’t know.   May be , it is time to think and think seriously.

A young Jewish engineer known as Martin Cooper of USA developed hand-held wireless Cell phone that we all love and nowadays cannot be without it. Couple of Cold-war scientists like Roger Eaton, Dr. Evan Getting and Bradford Parkinson developed GPS, satellites to allow precise positioning of vehicles, a great innovation. Hollywood actress Hedy Lamar is known to be the inventor of WiFi and Charles Cabbage is cited as the father of the concept of computer. However, I am pleased that two German researchers, Dr. Ugur Sahin and his wife, Ozlem Tureci, that emmigrated from Turkey, managed to develop Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, and a young girl of 26 years of age, a British-Bangladeshi origin Sadia Khanam innovated Covid disinfectant. Let us applaud all of them and take it as a challenge that you can also do it. There is no reason why you cannot do it. Allah has given everything that you need. Remember, Past is history, Future is mystery, But present is a gift of God. Now it is you who have to make the best use of your time and energy with commitment and motivation to excel in performance and achievements.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world is passing through an unprecedented time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But at the same time, we are all moving forward to achieve our goals through adaptation and innovation in this changed reality. All of you should follow the health directives while  continuing your perusal of knowledge so that when the right time comes you can come forward as an asset to humanity. 

I wish you every success as you enter this next exciting stage of your academic life.

Before I conclude, may I remind you one little message that is written in the Entrance Gate of an University and it says, I quote,

“ destroying any nation does not require the use of Atomic bombs or the use of long-range Missiles. It requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students”. unquote. 

You remember late Justice Kayani, a Pakistan’s Supreme Court Judge’s joke on the graduates of a medical college and untimely deaths of its patients.  Degrees achieved through unethical means may help you to get a good job but remember, ‘Patients may die at the hands of such doctors, Buildings may collapse at the hands of such engineers, Money is lost at the hands of such economists and accountants, Humanity dies at the hands of such religious scholars, Justice is lost at the hands of such judges ...No wonder, the collapse of education is the collapse of a nation”.

Thank you all

Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu      

May Bangladesh Live Forever