Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid has said women have been contributing to all spheres of society and breaking new grounds with courage. “It was difficult for women to achieve success in our society. The women of today are very courageous; they are leaving their mark in every sphere of society. They are contributing to the socio-economic development of the country. Social barriers have started to crumble,” he has observed.

The minister was speaking at the convocation of Central Women’s University, held at Krishibid Institution, Dhaka. University Grants Commission chairman Prof. Abdul Mannan, Board of Trustees chairman Kazi Zahedul Hasan, and Central Women’s University vice-chancellor Dr Perween Hasan, among others, were present during the event.

“Spread your knowledge among less educated people.

Your knowledge and wisdom will encourage them,” urged Nahid, addressing the graduates.

He also said that universities must create new knowledge to help address the problems of the country.

Nahid said some private universities were yet to fulfil the conditions set by the UGC, but they could not continue in this manner. “The universities that have failed to meet the desired conditions and only aims to make profits by not moving to permanent campuses will face the music,” he added.

“I urge everyone to shun the profit-hungry mentality and contribute to the welfare of society”, Nahid said.

Prof. Abdul Mannan said that private universities should follow the rules and regulations set by the UGC.

Those that did not bother to abide by the rules would invariably incite correctional action, he added.

Dr Rounaq Jahan, a political scientist and  feminist, was the main speaker at the convocation.

She said that a woman must never lose the track of her dream amid all social obstacles lying before her. She also said that although women had a lot of barriers to cross, many more opportunities were now available these days.

Citing an example, she said when she graduated from Dhaka University nearly fifty years ago, only a limited number of occupations were available to women. “Today the labour market has changed. Women can take part in  civil service, military service, and so on,” she added.

Sharing her life experiences, Rounaq Jahan said: “When I was going to school in the 1950s, I always dreamt that one day I would go abroad for higher studies and get a degree from one of the world’s best universities. I was very fortunate that my parents, particularly my father, was very supportive. I pursued my dream.

I was probably the first Bengali woman to get a PhD from the world-famous Harvard University.”

“At Harvard University, I heard two expressions. The first was that the ‘sky is the limit’. This means there can be no limit to a person’s aspirations so long as they are capable of achieving it.

The second expression was ‘sink or swim’. This expression referred to how one must learn or they will drown,” she added.

Addressing the graduating students, the feminist leader said: “Remember, sky is the limit of your ambition, but you must strive hard to realise your dream. Every challenge in life is also an opportunity to find your own inner strength and potential.”

“Do not let worries about social approval hold you back in pursuing your dreams. If you succeed in breaking unjust and unwritten barriers, others will follow in your footsteps. The change of  social society will follow suit,” she added.

Rounaq Jahan also provided the graduates with the following piece of advice: “Do not feel bad if your examination results were not all that good. There is more to life than being simply a good student.

Your talent may lie in other areas. You need to discover them”.