Shawdesh dEsk:

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 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.

The premier virtually inaugurated the day and handed over the gold medals among 10 winners from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital this morning.

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 today highlighting the significance of the Day.

Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad organized the function under direct supervision of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital.

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 the “Sheikh Russel Day” was also played at the function.

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak presided over the function and it’s 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 roller skating competition organised by 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.

The premier also witnessed a colourful cultural programme performed by artists of Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad.

Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also 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 the city.

He was brutally assassinated along with most of his family members, including his father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 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 organizations have taken various programmes to observe the day at national and international level.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division has taken elaborate programmes, including placing wreaths at Sheikh Russel’s grave and portraits, launching “Sheikh Russel Gold Medal”, quiz competition, laptop distribution and discussions, to observe the day.

The ICT Division and the Sheikh Russel Shishu Kishore Parishad jointly placed wreaths at Sheikh Russel’s grave at the Banani Graveyard at 6am and at his portrait in front of respective ministry, division, office, agency and institution at 7 in the morning.

Besides, the ICT division will organize a national seminar titled “Sheikh Russel Deepta Joyullas (Sheikh Russel radiant joy, indomitable confidence)” at 3pm and a concert titled “Concert for Peace and Justice” at 6pm 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 12noon today.

A milad and doa mahfil will be organized at Shishu Academy Mosque at 1.45pm while a photo exhibition will be arranged at Sheikh Russel Gallery of the academy at 2pm.

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 8am today.

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 October 19 (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.