The campus of Rajshahi University has turned a festive as former students of the university have started gathering there on the occasion of the 9th convocation scheduled to be held today.
The students, many of whom came with their families, recalled their days on the campus.
“For me, the convocation is a charm factor and a great opportunity to go back to the period when I passed some of the sweetest days of my life on the campus with friends,” said Milton Hossain Milu, now a senior judicial magistrate of Bangladesh Judicial Service.
Armin Khatun, now a teacher of Law at Islamic University Kushtia recalling campus memories that brought a hint of smile on her face said, “I met up some of my old friends at this function for the first time since I left the university five years ago”.
“A lot of sweet memories are thronging my mind now as I meet up with some of the old friends and teachers”, She also said.
However, the university is set to stage the 9th Convocation today at 12:30pm at its Stadium with fanfare mood and festivity.
President and chancellor of the university Abdul Hamid is expected to chair the convocation while Prof Talat Ahmed, vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University of Delhi in India will attend it as the convocation speaker.
Yesterday, the campus was thronged with the former studnets while participants have already started taking photographs wearing dark black gowns, ties and hats across the campus one day before the convocation.
The entire university wore a festive look marking the convocation as university administrative building, university’s entrance and other major points on the campus and Convocation gates were decorated with colorful belongs and lights.
The participants were seen to take snaps at Shaheed Minar, on Paris Road on the campus, on the basement of Shabash Bangladesh monument, Senate Bhaban and all over the campus.
The graduates also took part in a rehearsal for the convocation at 3:00pm yesterday at the playground of Shabash Bangladesh.
Led by Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin, deans of different faculties, members of senate, syndicate and academic councils, directors of institutes and principals of different affiliate colleges participated in the rehearsal.
A total of 4,777 graduates, who had their masters, MBBS, BDS, M.Phil and Ph.D from the university during the year 2006 to 2010, have registered to attend the convocation, said university administration sources.
However, over 400 pro-BNP and Jamaat-backed teachers of Rajshahi University (RU) under the banner of “white panel” declared that they would boycott the convocation as the country is going through an unstable situation.