Karachi, 30 November 2022:

Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi S. M. Mahbubul Alam addresses a group of faculty members of Karachi University at the University Campus as the Chief Guest, where around 35 faculty members of different departments of the University attended. He also addressed another gathering of Health Professionals of Pakistan at the University. As the Chief Guest, Deputy High Commissioner handed over the Crests and Certificates among the faculty members (Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and Lecturers) of Karachi University and professionals who had participated in two separate professional development trainings/workshops organized by Karachi University.  

In his speech as the Chief Guest, the Deputy High Commissioner S. M. Mahbubul Alam briefed the faculty members and academics of Karachi University on the success stories of socio-economic progress in Bangladesh and said that Bangladesh has become a ‘Role Model’ of socio-economic development in the world. With a per capita income of US2,824 Bangladesh is currently among the five fastest growing economies in the world, ranking 41st in terms of GDP. He also mentioned that in Bangladesh current primary enrollment rate is over 98 percent, and literacy rate is around 78 percent, which was only 18 percent in 1971. He further added that in Bangladesh currently there are around 160 universities including 53 public universities and 112 medical colleges including 37 public medical colleges, which were only less than seven respectively in 1971. Bangladesh provides hundreds of thousands of scholarships to students and since 2010 distributes over 400 million copies of free text books to primary and secondary level students across the country on 1^st January, the 1^st day of academic year in Bangladesh, which is a unique success story of Bangladesh in the world. He added that according to WEF, Bangladesh is ranked the 7^th in the world in terms of political empowerment of women. The ‘Digital Bangladesh’ initiative has stimulated transformative impacts on socio-economic development, education, health services, social safety nets, vocational training, disaster risk reduction, and women’s empowerment. Deputy High Commissioner mentioned that Bangladesh has already achieved ‘Vision 2021’ and is striving hard to achieve “Vision 2041” to become a higher middle-income country by 2031 and developed country by 2041.

The distinguished faculty members (Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and Lecturers) of Karachi University and health professionals in Pakistan were deeply impressed by knowing the success stories in socio-economic progress of Bangladesh. They highly appreciated the present-day international image of Bangladesh. They expressed their keen desire for wider collaboration in education and research with Universities in Bangladesh and Karachi University, which is one of the largest universities in Pakistan with over 41,000 full-time students, over 900 faculty members, over 1,200-acre campus and 72 departments and institutes.

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