BANGLADESH

Hasan Mahmud opens ‘Bangabandhu Sangbad Kendra’ at Press Club Kolkata

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today expressed gratitude to people of India and its government for extending all-out cooperation in Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Liberation.

“I want to express my deep gratitude to the people of India, the then Indian government and whole state for their support and cooperation in Bangladesh’s Liberation War…It might not be possible to achieve independence without the help of India,” he said.

The minister was speaking as chief guest at the opening ceremony of the newly set up “Bangabandhu Sangbad Kendra” (Bangabandhu Media Centre) at Press Club Kolkata (PCK) here this evening.

The centre is being established with the support of Bangladesh government in honour of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking the birth centenary celebrations of Bangabandhu and the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s War of Liberation.

Giving a brief account of Bangladesh’s War of Liberation, Hasan said hundreds of Indian people and members of the Indian armed forces shed their bloods along with the freedom fighters during the Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971.

Paying rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he said the establishment of “Bangabandhu Sangbad Kendra” at PCK after the name of Bangabandhu is a great honour to Bangabandhu and Bangladesh as well.

'Bangabandhu Sangbad Kendra' at Press Club Kolkata

“It will be a milestone towards Bangladesh-India relations, which stands on mutual trust and historic ties,” he said and adding that Bangladesh-India ties reached a new height during the tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The minister referred to the contribution of Indian journalists especially the members of the PCK during the tumultuous time of Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971 braving their own lives for the sake of Bangladesh and its people.

“The Indian journalists especially the PCK members had played a crucial role for covering reports from war fields and published across the world…with their reports people all over the world came to know the barbaric atrocities of Pakistani occupation forces to the unarmed Bengalees,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, the Press Club President Snehasis Sur said the press club is happy to get the opportunity to establish the media centre after the name of a great personality (Bangabandhu), who sacrificed his life for the cause of millions of Bengalees.

He said Bangabandhu was equally popular in India especially in West Bengal. The media centre would help immensely the new generation to know Bangabandhu and the modern Bangladesh as well.

Among others, Saimum Sarwar Kamal, MP, from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner to Kolkata Towfiq Hasan, First Secretary (Press) Ranjan Sen and Former President of Press Club of India Gautam Lahiri spoke on the occasion.

Shaban Mahmud, Minister (Press) of Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and senior Indian journalists were present.

Earlier, the minister handed over awards to five veteran journalists of Kolkata with the “Muktijuddya Suborno Joyanti Kolom Sena” award for their outstanding contribution to the Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Liberation.

The journalists used to gather information during Bangladesh’s war of liberation from the battle fields and took initiatives to disseminate the news to the world media during the war.

The journalists, who received the awards are- Manosh Ghosh (The Statesman), Dilip Chakraborty, Sukha Ranjan Das Gupta, Tarun Ganguly (The Hindustan) and Dr. Partha Chattapadhaya (Ananda Bazar).

Later, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the PCK and the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata for smooth functioning of the media centre.

The media centre, set up with modern digital facilities has computers, scanner, an exhibition hall, a library, an overhead projector and a number of digital materials on the Bangladesh’s War of Liberation.

In the afternoon, the minister called on West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhaya at his office where they discussed issues relating to mutual interests.

During the meeting, the minister invited the speaker to visit Bangladesh at a time convenient to him. The Speaker accepted the invitation to visit Bangladesh.

Source: BSS

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button
Close