Heritage Foundation aims to revitalise the cultural heritage

A day-long symposium titled "Revitalization of Cultural Heritage: Contextualise Smart Bangladesh" was held on February 3 at the Bangladesh National Museum, Shahbag in the city. The Heritage Foundation took the initiative to organize the day-long event.

At the opening ceremony, Md Kamruzzaman, the director general of Bangladesh National Museum, graced the occasion as the guest of honour. Dr. Sharifuddin Ahmed, a Professor from the Department of History and Philosophy at North South University, presented the keynote paper. Notably, Dr Ahmed previously served as the director of the Department of National Archives and Libraries under the Bangladesh Government.

Professor Dr Akhtaruzzaman, the former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University and chairman of the advisory board of Heritage Foundation, chaired the event. The welcome speech was delivered by Jahangir Hossain, the director general of Heritage Foundation. Furthermore, Alam Ara Begum, the director of the Foundation, presented the mission and objectives of the Heritage Foundation.

Following the commencement of the ceremony, four researchers who also serve as teachers from Jahangirnagar University, Comilla University, and State University of Bangladesh delivered their papers. Additionally, a researcher from Barendra Museum, two researchers from Bangladesh National Museum, a scholar from National Science and Technology Museum, and an academic from the Department of Archaeology presented their research-based papers during the three sessions of the event.

The essayists provided suggestions regarding Bangladesh's rich heritage, encompassing its past, present, and future prospects. According to Md Kamruzzaman, once the extensive process of registering our cultural heritage is finalised, showcasing it to the global community will become effortless. Professor Dr Akhtaruzzaman emphasised that the Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with governmental organisations, will dedicate its efforts towards conserving, researching, raising awareness, providing training, and publishing materials related to heritage.