Govt takes extensive programmes to observe ‘Sheikh Russell Day’ tomorrow

The government has taken an extensive programme to observe the ‘Sheikh Russell Day’ with the theme ‘Sheikh Russell Diptimoy, Nirvik Nirmal Durjoy (Luminous Sheikh Russell, courageous, pellucid and indomitable)’ simultaneously across the country and Bangladesh missions abroad tomorrow.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the main programme of the day at 10am at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city tomorrow,” State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said at a press briefing at BCC auditorium at ICT Tower in the city’s Agargaon area this morning.

At the function, the premier will distribute the ‘Sheikh Russell Padak-2023’, ‘Smart Bangladesh Award’ and prizes of Sheikh Russell Online Quiz Competition with Zunaid Ahmed Palak in the chair.

The Sheikh Russell National Award-2023 will be awarded to 11 children under 10 categories, including education, science and technology, sports, children with special needs, arts and culture, young programmer, young innovators, young writers, digital school and digital excellence. A medal of one bhori gold will be given to every winner of the award.

The ‘Smart Bangladesh Award’ will be given at national and district levels while each level will get 12 awards while each of 10 winners of the Sheikh Russell Online Quiz Competition will be given a core i7, 11 generation laptop as prize.

Marking the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the function at BICC will inaugurate Sheikh Russell Animation Lab at Fine Arts Faculty in Dhaka University (DU), 300 Sheikh Russell Schools of Future, Python Programming Training for 27,000 students, distribution of certificates among 36,020 teachers trained at Sheikh Russell Digital Lab, seven Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centers, training programme for 25,125 women in 130 upazilas across the country under ‘Her Power Project’ and ‘Sathik’, ‘Janamat’, ‘Rupantor’ and Uboard’ software, ‘Smart 333′, Smart Pregnancy Monitoring System, Smart e-Trade Licence, students’ collective assessment app ‘Noipunyo’, integrated e-toll collection service ‘Ekpass’, toll free helpline service ‘13219’ to prevent juvenile cybercrime and three university innovation hubs.

The premier will also inaugurate Robotic Corners at 300 Sheikh Russell Schools of Future and lay foundation stones of 10,000 Sheikh Russell Digital Labs, three Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centers, 555 Joy SET Centers, DolCT-2041 SMART Tower and seven university innovation hubs.

“Through observance of the Sheikh Russell Day, we want to project everything of Russell’s 10-year struggling life along with his humanity, generosity and hospitality before the present and future generations,” Palak said.

Since the government declared October 18 as the ‘Sheikh Russell Day’ in 2021 to mark the birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s youngest son Sheikh Russell, the day is going to be observed across the country and abroad this year for the third time.

At national level, Palak said, different ministries, divisions and offices will observe the day through different programmes, including paying homage to Sheikh Russell, organizing reminiscence events, seminars, discussions, special events for children, doa and munajat.

Besides, the day also will be observed at division, district and upazila levels across the country through various programmes, including drawing and essay competitions, screening presentations and Sheikh Russell Digital Lab selection competitions, he added.

According to the programme schedule, every ministry, division, office, agency and institution will pay tribute to Sheikh Russell by placing floral wreaths at his portrait on the premises of their respective offices at 7am.

The ICT Division and Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad will jointly pay homage to Sheikh Russell by placing a floral wreath at his portrait on BICC premises here at 8am while they will bring out a colorful rally from the venue at 8.30am.

Under the auspices of the ICT Division, a 3D movie titled ‘Amader Choto Russel Sona’ will be screened at 3pm at Bangabandhu Military Museum in the capital.

Marking the day, the Foreign Ministry and Bangladesh missions abroad will also observe the day through various programmes. Messages of the President, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs will be read out at every mission abroad and a documentary with English subtitle on Sheikh Russell will be screened there.

Marking the day, the Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad will arrange drawing and chess competitions, football tournaments, cultural and shooting events.

ICT Division Secretary Md Shamsul Arefin, ICT Department Director General Md. Mostafa Kamal and Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad Organizing Secretary Barrister Jahangir Hossain Rony were present at the press briefing, among others.

In observance of the day, different TV channels will air special programmes and newspapers will publish special supplements, highlighting the significance of the day.

Sheikh Russell, also the youngest brother of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was born on October 18 in 1964 at the historic Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi road number 32 in the capital.

But 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 University Laboratory School.  (BSS)