National University to hold second convocation on January 23

The National University’s second convocation will be held on January 23, 2027, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr ASM Amanullah has told The Daily Campus. He said President and Chancellor of the National University Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has agreed to attend the convocation. Amanullah disclosed the information during an exclusive conversation with The Daily Campus on Sunday (September 20).

Earlier that day, the vice-chancellor paid a courtesy visit to President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. During the meeting, Amanullah briefed the president on the university’s overall education, research and academic activities.

He also discussed various initiatives taken over the past two years since assuming office, including efforts to bring changes to the university’s academic and administrative activities. The second convocation was also discussed during the meeting.

National University was established in 1992. In the 33 years since its establishment, the university has held only one convocation, leaving hundreds of thousands of graduates from its affiliated colleges without an opportunity to participate in a formal graduation ceremony.

The delay has also created difficulties for graduates seeking their original certificates. Students have held several movements in the past demanding regular convocations.

The university held its first convocation 25 years after its establishment, on January 17, 2017, at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, in the presence of the university’s chancellor and president. The authorities subsequently took decisions several times to organise another convocation over the following eight years, but those plans were not implemented.

The first convocation was held during the tenure of Prof Dr Harun-or-Rashid as vice-chancellor. A total of 4,932 registered undergraduate and postgraduate students who had passed different examinations between 1998 and 2012 attended the event. Eight students received gold medals for outstanding academic performance.

The National University currently has more than 2,000 affiliated colleges. Although thousands of students graduate from these institutions every year, many remain unable to attend a convocation. Graduates who have completed their academic programmes and received their results generally rely on temporary certificates issued by the university until they receive their original certificates.

The issue can create additional difficulties for graduates seeking higher education abroad. In many cases, temporary certificates are not accepted by foreign institutions, while some institutions accept them on the condition that the original certificate is submitted within six months to one year.