English dept felicitates CoU VC

The Department of English at Comilla University (CoU) on Tuesday accorded a felicitation to Professor Dr M M Shariful Karim following his appointment as the university’s vice-chancellor.

Faculty members and students expressed their delight as Professor Karim became the first vice-chancellor from the university’s founding English Department.

The programme was held at the conference room of the Faculty of Social Sciences on Tuesday (July 28), with the department’s Chairperson, Professor Dr Md Habibur Rahman, in the chair.

Teachers and students of the department attended the event and extended their congratulations to the newly appointed vice-chancellor.

The programme began with a video presentation highlighting Professor Karim’s academic and professional journey, followed by speeches from teachers and students.

Addressing the function as the chief guest, Professor Karim said he had aspired to become the vice-chancellor of Comilla University because he believes the institution has enormous potential despite its challenges.

“I wanted to become the vice-chancellor of this university. Academically, the university still lags behind many others, while it often receives more negative publicity than its peers.

I wanted to take on the responsibility of such a university, and I had to compete with others for the position. Despite its shortcomings, it is a university full of potential,” he said.

Student representative Banani Biswas said students listened to Professor Karim’s lectures “with complete attention” and described him as more than just a teacher.

“He is like an elder brother to us. We all feel a sense of responsibility towards him. If we do something wrong, it will reflect on him, and if we achieve something good, that too will be a reflection of his leadership,” she said.

In his remarks, Professor Habibur Rahman said it was a historic moment for the department and the university.

“For the first time in our history, we have a vice-chancellor from our own department and university. The English Department is one of the founding departments of Comilla University, and Professor Shariful Karim was also its founding chairman. We are delighted to have such a capable person as our vice-chancellor. He is not only our administrative head but also our mentor, guardian, colleague, and friend. We believe that under his leadership, the university will continue to move forward,” he said.