Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, on Saturday said that safeguarding the environment and addressing climate change must be given the highest priority to protect the country’s future and the generations to come.
Delivering the convocation address at Convocation 2025 of Stamford University Bangladesh at the Expo Village of the Bashundhara International Convention Center, she said building an environment-friendly, humane and women-friendly society requires responsible engagement from everyone in their respective roles.
“We must act now. The Bangladesh we know today-our children may not see the same map if we fail to respond promptly,” she warned.
Rizwana Hasan said that challenges such as air pollution, deforestation and river pollution cannot be solved overnight but can be addressed gradually through sustained effort.
She noted that river restoration activities are already underway, while legal and policy reforms for environmental protection are progressing.
With proper cooperation, these initiatives will advance more swiftly, she added.
Highlighting the importance of compassion and animal welfare, she said: “Our faith teaches us to show compassion to animals. Yet we often act with cruelty-not only towards people but towards animals as well. A humane society must show kindness to all living beings and to nature.”
She underscored the vital role of families, society and educational institutions in nurturing a better generation, saying that building a just and equitable Bangladesh requires positive change within individuals.
Despite injustice and challenges in the past, she said, people’s aspirations have repeatedly shown the way toward progress.
Expressing concern over widespread negative propaganda, she urged everyone to remain vigilant and uphold positivity. “We want a society free of discrimination. Politics must center around people’s rights and empowerment,” she said.
She said Bangladesh’s problems run deep and cannot be solved within one or two years, stressing that every citizen must fulfill their responsibilities from their respective positions.
Presiding over the convocation, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, adviser to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology, urged graduates to take responsibility, think and work for society, remain diligent, dream big and dedicate themselves to serving humanity.
A total of 1,407 graduates from five faculties and 14 departments received degrees at Convocation 2025.
Ten students received the Chancellor’s Gold Medal for achieving the highest CGPA, while 40 students were awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal.