Hectic preparations are underway to welcome Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, who is set to visit his home district Chittagong for the first time since assuming office as the head of the interim government.
Prof Yunus is scheduled to make a daylong visit with a packed itinerary, stretching from Chittagong Port to Chittagong University (CU) — the oldest higher education institution in the region — located near his ancestral village home in Jobra, under Fatehpur union of Hathazari upazila.
In addition to attending the university’s 5th convocation ceremony as the convocation speaker, Professor Yunus is expected to visit Jobra village, where he first piloted his groundbreaking microcredit program.
The Chittagong district administration has nearly completed its extensive preparations for the chief adviser’s maiden visit.
“People of Chittagong are eagerly waiting to offer a warm welcome to the son of their soil and make his first-ever visit as the head of the interim government a historic one. We are working day and night, following the directives of senior officials, to ensure the success of the chief adviser’s much-anticipated visit,” said Farida Khanom, deputy commissioner of Chittagong.
According to the visit schedule, Professor Yunus will attend a meeting at the NCT-5 premises inside Chittagong Port to exchange views with senior officials from the port and shipping sectors, as well as representatives from various port user organizations and trade bodies.
A multimedia presentation will be delivered at the event, highlighting current port operations, performance, future prospects, and key ongoing and proposed projects, including the Bay Terminal and Matarbari Deep Sea Port, according to senior port officials.
From the port, Professor Yunus will proceed to the Chittagong Circuit House, where he will unveil the foundation stone of the Kalurghat Bridge over the Karnaphuli River — a long-awaited project demanded by residents of the southern bank of the river, including Boalkhali and parts of Patiya upazila.
The chief adviser will also formally hand over the registered deed of the Chittagong Heart Foundation Hospital to the relevant authorities.
Later, Professor Yunus will depart for Chittagong University to attend the 5th convocation ceremony, which will be held at the university’s central playground in the afternoon.
At the convocation, certificates will be awarded to approximately 22,600 graduates from the academic years 2011 to 2023, including 22 PhD degree recipients from 2015 to 2025.
The university will confer a Doctor of Letters (D Litt) degree on him in recognition of his outstanding contributions to poverty eradication and global peacebuilding.
“We have taken all necessary steps to ensure the success of the convocation under the leadership and supervision of Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Yeahia Akhter. We expect the event to be the largest convocation ever held by any higher educational institution in the country, with around 100,000 people expected to gather on the CU campus to attend the grand ceremony,” CU Registrar Professor Saiful Islam said on Friday.
To mark the occasion, the CU authorities have also taken steps to further beautify the naturally picturesque campus, which spans 2,300 acres of lush greenery, small hills, and scenic landscapes.