Bangladesh, Sept. 8 -- President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday laid the foundation stone of the long-awaited Thakurgaon University, formally beginning construction of the public university on around 86 acres of land in Thakurgaon.

The President unveiled a plaque and laid the foundation stone at a ceremony in the Jamalpur area of Sadar upazila beside the Thakurgaon-Pirganj highway.

He said the foundation stone laying marked the fulfilment of a commitment made by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Responding to journalists' questions, the President said politics of tolerance, rather than confrontation, must be established in the country.

He said a university is not merely an institution of higher education but also a centre for know...