The Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar urged the countrymen to get out of the colonialist mentality and start an independent educational system based on technology. He said, to make Bangladesh the best country in the world, creating conducive educational environment for students is required. So, we need to free the education system of independent-sovereign Bangladesh from the colonial system of slavery. We need to make teaching fun.
The minister opined so while addressing as the chief guest at the discussion and cultural program observed to mark the Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day at BTCL Ideal School and College ground in Maghbazar of the capital on Tuesday.
In order to pay respect to language martyrs, Bengali language should be practiced and established from individual level to state life, the minister said, adding that agriculture-based Bangladesh is now heading towards the fifth industrial revolution. In this year’s Digital Bangladesh Fair, the innovation that we have seen from school-madrasa and university youth has opened my eyes. Because, if the software of a company that spends 18 billion dollars a year on research and development is made in Bangladesh, then we must understand that the talent of our children is above the world standard. Rather I say, ‘more than the world class’.
Post and Telecommunication Secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman spoke in the function while the Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited Chairman Dr. Shah Jahan Mahmud presided over. He commented that along with Bengali language, it is contributing to bring back the life of extinct languages on the International Mother Language Day.
Highlighting the sweetness of the Bengali language, the president of the program, Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, said that language is not only a cultural matter; language technology gives comfort and financial prosperity as well. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman transformed the socio-technical power of language into political, cultural and people’s war.
While speaking as the special guest, the BTRC chairman Shyamsunder Sikder explained the role of Bangabandhu in the language movement and highlighted the intelligence report of that time.
He said that after the assassination of the Father of the Nation in 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s contribution to the language movement was not mentioned for 21 years. Referring to the language movement not only for language, it was a social and political movement of Bengalis, the BTRC chairman said, there is no other example of such sacrifice for language anywhere else in the world. Paying tribute to Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar who sacrificed their lives in 1952, he said that the year 1948 saw the sowing of language movement.
Director General of Telecommunication Directorate Rafiqul Islam presented the main article in the event. Asaduzzaman Chowdhury, Managing Director (Additional Charge) of Bangladesh Telecommunications Bangladesh Limited gave the welcome address.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited Md. Shahjahan Mahmud said, Bangabandhu and language movement are inseparable. Mentioning the contribution of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take Bengal to the international level, he said, the contribution of expatriate Bengalis for declaring International Mother Language Day is also undeniable.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) paid floral tributes to the martyrs under the leadership of Commission Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder. BTRC Vice-Chairman Engineer Mohiuddin Ahmed, Commissioner of Legal and Licensing Department Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain, Commissioner of Finance, Accounting and Revenue Department were present at this time. Mushfiq Mannan Chowdhury, Director General of Administration Department; Md. Delwar Hossain, along with other officials of BTRC, the Department of Telecommunications, Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited, Department of Posts, Telephone Industry Association, Mailing and Courier Licensing Authority, Teletalk Bangladesh Limited paid floral tributes.
At the end of the event, prizes were given to the winners of the writing and painting competition organized on the occasion of the day. Fateh Al Mahrum, Azmain and Abdullah Tasneen in category A and Arifuzzaman Saim, Ahadul Islam and Taranga Jay Dhar in category B won the painting competition.
Mehjabin Islam Jahin (Class 5), Snigdha Ghosh (Class 5) and Maria Akhter Mahima (Class 4) stood first in drawing competition in category A.
Winners in category B are – Tasmiyah Tasbeeh (Class 7), Morsheda Akhtar (Class 8) and Alif Moni (Class 8).
Earlier, at around 9 am, apart from the minister and secretary, the head of each department of the post and telecommunication Division and the school committee paid tribute by paying flowers at the Shaheed Minar of the school.