NSTU Convocation Returns After Seven Years: Third Convocation on 24 January, Registration Open Until 10 November

After a long seven-year gap, the convocation ceremony is returning to Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU). The university's third convocation will be held on 24 January 2027 on its own campus. For many graduates, the day will be the formal recognition of a long wait.

The information was announced recently in a notice signed by the university's registrar. According to the notice, the university's Chancellor and President, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has consented to preside over the convocation.

Online registration for graduates wishing to take part opened on 11 October and will continue until 10 November 2026. Registration must be completed within the stipulated time through the university's convocation portal, the notice said.

The notice also sets out who is eligible for which degree. For bachelor's (honours and engineering), B.Ed. and B.Pharm. degrees, graduates from the 2014–15 to 2020–21 academic sessions will be able to join the convocation. However, undergraduate students of the Pharmacy department are not included in that list, the notice mentioned.

For master's, M.Phil., PhD and other degrees, graduates from the 2015–16 to 2023–24 sessions will get the opportunity. In addition, students of the PGDLIS programme from the 2018 B-3 to 2023 B-12 batches and of the PGDIT programme from the Spring 2018 to Summer 2024 sessions will also be able to register.

The authorities have also fixed the registration fees. The fee for a single degree is 5,000 taka. Those registering together for both a bachelor's and a master's or diploma degree will have to pay 6,000 taka.

The rules for collecting certificates have also been clarified in the notice. The online payment slip for the registration fee must be shown when collecting the original certificate. Those who have already collected their original certificate will also be able to register afresh for the convocation by surrendering that certificate.

A separate process has been described for those who have not yet collected their provisional certificates. They must first collect a form from the Controller of Examinations' office and then obtain the necessary clearances from their department, hall and the central library. Those who have already collected a provisional certificate will have to surrender its original copy when taking the original certificate.

NSTU's last convocation was held on 24 February 2019 — that was the university's second convocation. No convocation has been held in the nearly seven years since, leaving graduates of several academic sessions outside the formal ceremony, many of whom have already entered professional life.

The announcement of a date for the third convocation after that long break has naturally generated interest among former students. The registration deadline is 10 November, so there is not much time in hand. The notice reminds interested graduates to complete their registration on the portal within the stipulated time.

If everything goes as planned, graduates in gowns and caps will gather on campus on 24 January. After seven years of accumulated waiting, that day will be added to NSTU's history as its third convocation.