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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday distributed ‘Sheikh Russel Gold Medal’ among the winners as she opened the ‘Sheikh Russel Day’ on the 58th birthday of Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated the day and handed over the gold medals among 10 winners from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital.
The nation, for the first time, is observing the day in a befitting manner, as the government had earlier announced October 18, the birthday of Sheikh Russel, as “Sheikh Russel Day” under the category “Ka”.
The day is also being observed at Bangladesh missions abroad while different dailies published special supplements Monday highlighting the significance of the Day.
Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad organised the function under direct supervision of the ICT Division at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).
On the day, 10 children in five categories -- education, sports, science and technology, fine arts-literature-culture, and children with special needs -- were awarded the “Sheikh Russel Gold Medal” for their outstanding contribution to the respective fields.
The awards include a medal weighing one tola of gold, a laptop and a certificate.
Prizes were also distributed among the winners of the quiz competition.
Besides, laptops are being distributed among 4000 freelancers out of 40,000 participants under the Learning and earning Development Projects (LEDPP) for their outstanding performance.
The prime minister also unveiled the cover of two books -- one titled “Sheikh Russell Jhore Jawa Phul (Sheikh Russel, a fallen flower” and another on “Sheikh Russel Deepta Joyullas, Adommo Attabishaws (Sheikh Russel radiant joy, indomitable confidence)”.
An Audio-visual presentation on the life of Sheikh Russel was screened and the theme song of “Sheikh Russel Day” was also played at the function.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak presided over the function and its Senior Secretary N M Zeaul Alam, spoke on the occasion.
Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad Secretary General KM Shahidullah gave a welcome address and Afsa Zafar Srijeeta expressed her feelings on behalf of the children at the function while a Parishad leader Barrister Jahangir Hossain Rani moderated it.
The prime minister distributed prizes among the winners of the sports and cultural competitions across the country arranged by Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad.
She also handed over prizes among the winners of the roller skating competition organised by the Roller Skating Federation.
A doa was also held at the function, seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of Sheikh Russel and other martyrs of August 15 in 1975.
Sheikh Hasina also witnessed a colourful cultural programme performed by artists of Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad.
Sheikh Russel, the youngest brother of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was born on October 18 in 1964 at the historic Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi 32 no road in Dhaka.
He was brutally assassinated along with most of his family members, including his father Bangabandhu, on August 15, 1975 when he was a student of class four at the University Laboratory School.
To mark the day, government bodies, ruling Awami League and its associate bodies, and different socio-cultural organisations have taken various programmes to observe the day at national and international levels.
The ICT Division and the Sheikh Russel Shishu Kishore Parishad jointly placed wreaths at Sheikh Russel’s grave at the Banani Graveyard at 6:00am and at his portrait in front of the respective ministry, division, office, agency and institution at 7:00am in the morning.
Besides, the ICT division will organize a national seminar titled “Sheikh Russel Deepta Joyullas” at 3:00pm and a concert titled “Concert for Peace and Justice” at 6:00pm at the BICC on the day.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq will join the concert as the chief guest.
The Bangladesh Shishu Academy will organize a book exhibition on Bangabandhu and Liberation War.
Wreaths were placed at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 10:30am while a children’s film was screened at Shishu Academy Auditorium at 12:00pm Monday.
A milad and doa mahfil will be organised at Shishu Academy Mosque at 1.45pm while a photo exhibition will be arranged at Sheikh Russel Gallery of the academy at 2:00pm.
To mark the day, ruling Awami League placed a wreath at the graves of other martyrs of the 15 August carnage in 1975, including Sheikh Russel, in the city’s Banani graveyard at 8:00am Monday.
Subsequently fateha, milad and doa mahfil were also held by the party members there. Marking the day, a discussion will be held at 3:30pm on Tuesday at AL central office in the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue area.
Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina will preside over the discussion through videoconferencing.
