November 23, 2010
Dear Friends and Colleagues
It is my pleasure to have you all- the members of the Tufts University Alumni Association in Washington, DC at our Embassy this evening for a presentation on BANGLADESH and Alumni reception. I reckon, this forum offers an opportune moment for us to interact, share ideas and expand networking on a wide range of issues pertaining to our respective professions.
Reputed for its highly rigorous academic standards, extremely liberal attitude to the acquisition of knowledge and passion for research, Tufts is a dream campus for admission seekers throughout the world. In partnership with Harvard, this University hosts the nation’s oldest and arguably the most prestigious graduate School in international relations; The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. In front of this enlightened audience, I am happy to note that, indeed, a good number of my colleagues in foreign service are among the proud Fletcherites; including some who previously assumed the chair I am currently holding. My own brother, a former Ambassador of Bangladesh, is a Fletcher Ph.D. Do I notice Jabed around?
To talk of Tufts as Bangladesh’s envoy to the USA I find an invincible affinity between my nation and your alma mater. Notwithstanding the color contrasts-Tufts’ Brown and Blue as against Bangladesh’s Red and Green- the convergence between our two mottos can never be discarded. Tufts began its journey in 1852 carrying a symbol which was light on top of the Hill . However the deeper meaning and the real world significance of Tufts’ motto Pax et Lux can hardly be understood just through its English language equivalent-which is peace and light. The contribution of this university in promoting knowledge in a non-sectarian context is one of historic acclaim. Likewise, Bangladesh’s founding fathers in 1971 opted that a key pillar of the just liberated country’s constitution would be secularism. I hope it would serve as an important footnote to the presentation that follows my welcome remarks that today’s shared goal of humanity-such as peace, freedom, human and minority rights-are not merely the key principles of our statehood but rather these epitomize the constitutional responsibility of every single citizen in Bangladesh. We currently top the list of nations who are contributing to peacekeeping missions throughout the world under the auspices of the United Nations. Committed to the spirit of peace and social justice, our government envisions to transform Bangladesh into an IT-enabled middle income country by the year 2021. In pursuit of that, it is our imperative to seek innovative ideas from resourceful professional groups and individuals such as you. In that respect, I acknowledge, today’s interaction is a great step towards identifying avenues for our future cooperation .
Tufts being a research university with a rich concentration in theoretical and applied sciences, I am sure, a vast pool of its graduates are entrusted to finding scientific solution to the most pressing global issues of the day: global climate change, energy security, food security, nutrition, HIV prevention, cancer research, disaster management, counter-terrorism ,poverty reduction-to mention but a few. It would hardly be an exaggeration to state that our future survival and prosperity greatly hinge on the scientific inroads you would make for addressing these issues .It is a tall and complicated order; unfortunately, there is no easier escape. The professional challenge we encounter today calls for a more meaningful networking and knowledge sharing.
Through the Tufts Alumni Association in Washington, DC I would like to urge upon its talented members to come up with innovative ideas for bridging the gap across communities in terms of both knowledge creation and application. This is probably the best way we may pay homage to both of our revered founders and the motto Tufts has been successfully instilling in the minds of its students for the last one century and a half.
I thank you all for your presence and the time to see the presentation on BANGLADESH as well as would like to invite you all to the reception.
Thank you.