President lays foundation stone of Thakurgaon University

A decades-old campaign for a public university in Thakurgaon reached a formal milestone when President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir laid the foundation stone for Thakurgaon University.

The ceremony took place at Maheshali village in Jamalpur union of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila at about 11:15 a.m. Speaking afterward, Alamgir said a public university of national standard had long been a dream for local residents.

“Today, we have been able to lay the foundation stone of the university by fulfilling the commitment made by our Prime Minister Tarique Rahman,” he said. He expressed hope that construction would start soon, with the university’s infrastructure design expected to be completed shortly.

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Today, we have been able to lay the foundation stone of the university by fulfilling the commitment made by our Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The president urged local residents to cooperate in developing the institution into a “centre of excellence”. Relief and Disaster Management Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed and Vice-Chancellor Professor Israfil Shahin attended the ceremony.

The university will occupy 86 acres in Maheshali village. Students and civil society members first began campaigning for a public university in Thakurgaon in 1996, and the movement regained momentum in 2013. The institution appointed its first vice-chancellor on May 7 this year.

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Centre of excellence