LAHORE: (Tuesday, June 17, 2025): A delegation consisting of vice chancellors and other officials of various Bangladeshi universities on Tuesday visited Punjab University and signed memorandums of understanding to collaborate in research, student-teachers exchange and other sectors. PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ali warmly welcomed the participants of the delegation. The Bangladeshi delegation included Bangladesh’s North South University VC Dr Abdul Hanan Chaudhry, VC Daffodil International University Dr MD Lutfur Rehman, VC University of Asia Pacific Dr Qamarul Ahsan, VC International Islamic University Dr Muhammad Azadi and others. On this occasion, PU Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood, Director External Linkages Prof Dr Yamina Salman, deans of faculties, Advisor to COMSTECH Murtaza Noor and others were present.

Expressing their views, the participants of the Bangladeshi delegation said that our relatives are graduates of PU. They said that the previous Bangladeshi government did not allow us to have links with Pakistani universities. He said that Dr Muhammad Yunus wants to promote relations with Pakistani universities. He said that PU is the oldest and greatest university in the region, which they are happy to visit. Dr Abdul Hanan Chaudhry said that he is very interested in enhancing relations with Pakistani universities. He said that we want collaborative research, exchange of teachers and student delegations. He said that we want our children to come to PU and learn about the past. He said that we want to promote relations between the people of Bangladesh and Pakistan. He said that we want our new generation to know about the culture of Pakistan. He said that we welcome you to the universities of Bangladesh. Dr Muhammad Ali Azadi said that we are geographically separated, but our hearts have never been separated. He said that we have to work together for the Muslim Ummah. He said that we want to publish research papers together. Dr Lutfur Rehman said that he wants to promote mutual cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics and others. He said that he got the opportunity to work at Pakistan Atomic Energy. He said that he went to England in 1969 to study further after receiving a scholarship from Pakistan. PU VC Prof Dr Muhammad Ali said that we are starting a new era of strong relationship with Bangladesh. He said that we will welcome the exchange of delegations of teachers and students and we will provide residential facilities to Bangladeshi students as well. He said that special concessions will be given to students coming from Bangladesh for pursuing PhD at PU. He said that all kind of facilities will be provided to promote relations between the universities of the two countries. He said that in the past, there were a large number of Bangladeshi students at PU. He said that our culture is the same and he is happy to see them there. He said that today's MoU is very unique from the MoUs signed with universities of other countries. He said that the agreements will help in the promotion of science and technology in both countries. Later, souvenirs were exchanged among the distinguished participants.