Dhaka: President Abdul Hamid on Saturday called upon the student community to come forward to bring back student politics on the right track and regain the lost glory once it used to enjoy.

The President, while addressing the 50th Convocation of Dhaka University said the country's student community has a glorious role in Bangladesh's political history as they played a leading role in the 71 Liberation War, the 1952 Language Movement, Six-point Movement and other democratic movements of the country.

The student community always comes forward to resist all threats to the country's independence and sovereignty for which many of them had been harassed and sent to jail, he said.

Noting that there is no alternative to political leadership for the nation's development which is complementary to democracy, Hamid said honest and competent leadership must be built up in the country through student politics to strengthen the foundation of democracy.

‘I, myself, started politics through student politics. But, there's a huge difference between today's student politics and that of ours. During the 60s, the aims and objectives of student politics were to ensure welfare of the nation and the country,’ he said.

Students used to lead and control the politics in the past when there had been no space for dependence and common people showed respect to them, the President said, adding, ‘But now it is seen that individual or group interest is getting priority in student politics,’ he said.

‘Sometimes, non-students control student politics. Thus, the trust, support and respect of people, even of general students, to student politics are decreasing gradually. This is not good for the nation and the country.’

Asking the students to get united to get the student politics on the right path and start ideology-based and welfare-oriented politics, he said: ‘The student community has to play a leading role in this regard.’

Recalling Dhaka University's contributions to the country's politics, Hamid said it has created many veteran politicians since its inception in 1921 and they played their significant role in the country's Liberation War, other democratic movement and its development.

‘So, Dhaka University has a deep relation with the student politics. In one word, Dhaka University is the birthplace of politics,’ he added.

DU Vice-chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique and convocation speaker Prof Amit Chakma also spoke on the occasion.

DU also conferred Doctor of Science degree on Amit Chakma, Bangladeshi-origin academic and Vice-chancellor of University of Western Ontario in Canada.