Category: English News

M Shahed Rahman, London ( uk ) office :

Bangladesh’s armed forces are not only working to ensure the security of the country, but also gaining reputation for the country and the nation by working in the international arena, especially in the UN peacekeeping mission commented Brigadier General AKM Aminul Haque, Defence Adviser at the Bangladesh High Commission in London. He added Bangladesh is ranked one of the top UN troops contributing country.

The Brigadier General was addressing a reception & dinner to celebrate Bangladesh Armed Forces Day 2019 organised by the Defence Wing of the High Commission at the British National Army Museum, Chelsea, London on 25 November 2019.

Brigadier General AKM Aminul Haque gave a brief history of the War of Liberation of Bangladesh. He said following the declaration of Independence by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 26 March 1971 and the formation of Provincial Government on 17 April 1971 Bangladesh armed forces of Army, Navy & Air Force launched combined attack on Pakistani forces on 21 November. Since then, the date is observed as Bangladesh Armed Forces Day. The dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to build the country’s armed forces as a modern force, is being implemented. He added, with the tireless work of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s armed forces have gained worldwide recognition as a modern and orderly force in the world. Bangladesh armed forces is a symbol of bravery & glory of our great Liberation War and in establishing peace across the world. He also paid respect to 3 million martyrs & victims, freedom fighters, armed forces and the allied armed forces of India.

Saida Muna Tasneem, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to the UK in her short brief illustrated the progress and development of Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Addressing the occasion, High Commissioner lauded the role of armed forces in protecting and building nation besides bringing in a good name for Bangladesh by performing in various global engagements, including in the UN Peacekeeping Missions and Peace Support Operations. She added, the armed forces of Bangladesh also played an important role in building roads, houses, distributing foods and relief materials among the displaced Rohingya people.   

At the event, High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem, Deputy Minister of Wales July Morgan, members of House of Lords, Dean of Diplomatic Forum, and Brigadier General Simon of UK joined the Defence Adviser Brigadier General AKM Aminul Haque in cutting a cake.

The event was conducted by Assistant Defence Adviser at the Bangladesh High Commission Lt. Colonel Sohel Ahmed. Guests included high ranking officers of British Army, veteran freedom fighters, organisers of 1971 War of Liberation in the UK, Deputy Minister of Wales July Morgan, Members of House of Lords, Dean of Diplomatic Forum, Ambassadors, Defence Advisors and diplomats of various countries, senior military and civil officers of UK ministry of defence, foreign and home ministries, professors from different UK universities including Cambridge, Sheffield, Oxford, Portsmouth, different media personnel and members of both the UK and the British Bengali community.

On the occasion, a documentary film was screened depicting the Bangladesh forces, the history of the Liberation War and country’s development. A digital photographic exhibition on valiant freedom fighters of 1971 was also mounted.  A banquet was organised for the guests. Gifts were given to the visiting foreign guests informing them of Bangladesh’s progress.

M Shahed Rahman, London:

To mark the 20 anniversary of London nail bomb attacks Brick Lane Act of Remembrance was held on Wednesday 24 April in front of Brick Lane Police Station with candle light vigil for the victims & the injured of Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho.

The 1999 London nail bombings were a series of bomb explosions that took place over three successive weekends. The first attack took place on 17 April in Brixton, second on 24 April in Brick Lane and the finally on 30 April in Soho. Fortunately, no one was killed in Brixton and Brick Lane bombing but unfortunately three people lost their lives in the Soho attack.

The second bomb, on Saturday 24 April was aimed at Brick Lane in the East End of London targeting the large Bengali community. There is a street market on Sundays but the perpetrator mistakenly tried to plant the bomb on Saturday when the street was less busy. Unwilling to change the timer on the bomb, he left it instead in a bag on Hanbury Street. There it was picked up by a man, who brought it to the police station on Brick Lane, which was closed at the time. He had placed it in the boot of his car which was parked outside Café Naz on Brick Lane, where it exploded. Thirteen people were injured, and surrounding buildings and cars were severely damaged. At the time, worshippers were gathering outside the Brick Lane Mosque for prayers.

At the Remembrance John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets stressed the need of unity of all communities and stated Tower Hamlets as a place of no hate. Mark Healey, Founder of Hate Crime Awareness Week reminded the bomb attack carried out by Neo Nazi militant & former member of BNP killed three people in Soho, including a pregnant woman, and injured 140 people, four of whom lost limbs. LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson recited a poem and the event ended with a minute silence for the victims. A plaque was mounted on the wall next to police station as a reminder. The event was attended by local community & anti-racist activists, Cllrs, Police Commander, senior Council officials and Emdad Talukder who was injured in the Brick Lane blast.

M SHAHED RAHMAN, LONDON :

We appeal for peace in Kashmir said Sajjad Raja who was speaking at an event organised by the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) UK at a programme in South London on Tuesday 23 April 2019.

Sajjad Raja, President of JKNAP who was speaking as the Chief Guest said, JKNAP is a secular democratic party advocating for a “united democratic secular Kashmir ” & the right of self-determination for the natives of Jammu & Kashmir.

Topic of discussion for the event was ‘How and why JKNAP UK is different from other traditional Nationalist Political Parties of Jammu Kashmir?’ and to stand up against extremism, violence and militancy to promote peace, democracy and secularism in Kashmir.

The event was conducted by JKNAP’s Deputy General Secretary Saiem Manzoor Khan with guests Ansar Ahmed Ullah from the International Forum for Secular Bangladesh UK, Matiar Chowdhury from Campaign for the Trial of War Criminals, JKNAP’s Vice President Dildar Khan, General Secretary Shazia GD, Auditor Sameena Raja, Media Secretary Altaf Gulharvi & Member Secretary Shaida Hyder amongst others.

JKNAP’s leaders said they were in pursuit of peace and prosperity for all mankind and uniting its community members for a great and peaceful political cause.  Ansar Ahmed Ullah shared Bangladesh’s struggle for independence stressing on secularism to unite all faith communities. Matiar Chowdhury said the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947 is main cause of all religious conflict in South Asia. He also pointed out to a neighbouring country as a source of Islamist terror.  

The event also announced the newly formed London Unit of JKNAP by the UK President Sajjad Raja who led the oath taking ceremony. Of the London Unit present were its President Mehtab Saqib, Vice President Shahid Shabir, Gen Secretary Naseef Ahmad, Finance Secretary Rashid Aziz, Hameed Rakib, Mahmood Sab & Sardar Riaz. The event ended with a minute silence for the victims of the recent Sri Lanka series bombing during Easter Sunday stating that JKNAP has always categorically condemned extremism, violence, militancy & killing of innocent human beings in the name of Jihad. In addition, JKNAP has always upheld   the democratic values and endorsed the provision of basic human rights to all citizens irrespective of the cast or creed or colour

M. Shahed Rahman, London office :
London: A proposal for a Shahid Minar in Sussex area was put to the Councillors in attendance by Mozmil Hussain at an event to celebrate Bangladesh’s Victory Day on 16 December in Eastbourne. It was explained that the monument was to be a replica of the original one in Bangladesh that commemorates language martyrs but would also celebrate International Mother Language Day as declared by the UN in 1999. The councillors assured the Bengali community that they would assist in facilitating the erection of a monument but requested the community to find a suitable space.

The event titled ‘A celebration of Bangladesh’s history & heritage of Victory Day’ was held at the Salvation Army Hall in Old Town, Eastbourne and jointly conducted by Abdul Kashem and Shajia Snigdha of Study Circle. 

Guests and Bengali families attended the celebration of Victory Day of Bangladesh with their young children to view exhibition, watch documentary films, listen to speeches from dignitaries and enjoyed Bengali cuisine & music by Salma Aktar. 

The event started with a minute silence for those who perished during the Bangladesh War of Liberation followed by Bangladesh’s national anthem being sung by children. Speakers said Victory Day is a celebration of being freed from the occupying Pakistani military on 16 December when Gen A K Niazi commanding 93.000 Pakistani troops surrendered to the coalition forces of India and Bangladesh. 

They added the day is observed in mourning too as 3 million innocent lives were lost because the Pakistani occupying forces indulged in one of the cruellest acts of genocide against the unarmed Bengali people. 

Speakers also highlighted Bangladesh’s recent success in poverty reduction, increasing literacy rate, in health sector, closing gender gap and meeting UN’s millennium goals. As a result, the World Bank believes Bangladesh is poised to be the next ‘Asian Tiger’ given the progress the country has achieved in the last decade and termed Bangladesh as a ‘development role model’ for all developing nations.

Guests included Chairman of East Sussex County Council, Cllr Peter Pragnell, Deputy Leader of East Sussex County Council Cllr David Elkin, Deputy Mayor Cllr Kathy Ballard, Cllr Paul Mt Claff, Cllr Penny Di Cara,  Caroline Ansell, Nick Ansell,  Jane Lamb , John  Feakins, Akram Siddique , Goas Miah, Suleman Miah, Sorwar Hussain, Sayek Miah ,Tajul Chowdhury, Akbor Ali, Mahmood Miah, Anwar Ali, Mohammned M Hussain, M .A.Rahman Abdul kadir , Akram Siddique , Joynul hoque , Sarwar choudhury , H R Liton, Eastbourne Caters Association M.A Kadir, John Morrison, Robert Findon, Ansar Ahmed Ullah of Swadhinata Trust, Bijoyphool Coordinator Milton Rahman, child activist Aydan Ahmad and storyteller Farah Naz amongst others. 

Mozmil Hussain from Devonshire Collective brought the event to an end by vote of thanks. The event was organised by Greater Eastbourne Bangladesh Welfare Association and Devonshire Collective and in association with the Greater Eastbourne .

jagannathpur today-18

M Shahed Rahman, Chief Correspondent London:

A memorial meeting organised by the UK Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee was held on 2 December at a college in Commercial Road, East London on the occasion of the 5th death anniversary of Bangladesh’s noble friend Barrister Nora Shariff.

The newly appointed Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem was present as the chief guest while the Deputy High Commissioner Zulqar Nain was present as the special guest in the event conducted by Nirmul Committee’s General Secretary Jamal Ahmed Khan and chaired by Nirmul Committee’s President Nooruddin Ahmed. The president of the United Kingdom Awami League Sultan Mahmud Shariff and journalist columnist Abdul Gaffar Choudhury were present as chief speakers.

Maulana Kutub Uddin recited from the Quran at the beginning of the remembrance meeting. Then Jamal Khan presented a brief life sketch of Barrister Nora Shariff. He said Barrister Nora Shariff was Irish, born in Ireland’s capital Dublin. Nora Shariff graduated as a linguist from Dublin, then went to study agriculture in France. From there she came to London and met Sultan Shariff, during the six-point movement.

Nora Shariff married Sultan Mahmud Shariff on 30 September 1968. Following Bangladesh’s’ independence Nora Shariff spent three years in Bangladesh, as a teacher in the law department of Dhaka University. She returned to England after the assassination of Bangabandhu in August 1975. For the last four decades, she had been active in almost every democratic cause related to Bangladesh.

Since the beginning of the justice process at the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh in 2010, she had been a very active member of ICSF having played an integral role in the organisation’s Europe based networking and lobbying activities, and regular workshops for activists to support the ICT and the justice process. Nora Shariff used to wear sari as a Bengali woman. She knew Latin language and was fluent in Irish, English, Bengali, French and Italian also.

She always spoke to Bengalis in Bengali. In 1971, of our foreign friends who stood beside Bangladesh to contribute and participated in the liberation war were honoured by the Bangladesh government. In 2012, in recognition for her contribution in the Liberation War of Bangladesh, she was honoured with the ‘Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War’ by the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Chief guest Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem proposed of setting up a Foundation in London so that future generation would know more about Nora Shariff. Chief speaker journalist Abdul Gaffar Choudhury said that Nora Shariff helped to send a lawyer to assist Bangabandhu in the Agartala conspiracy case and did a lot of work towards war crimes trial.

Others who spoke at the event were two daughters of Sultan Mahmud Shariff and Nora Shariff, Razia and Fauzia, Acting General Secretary of the United Kingdom Awami League Naimuddin Riaz, Vice President Zalal Uddin, Organizing Secretary Abdul Ahad Chowdhury, Sajjad Miah, Mohila Awami League’s Khaleda Qureshi, Anjuman Aara Anju, Husneara Matin, Nazma Hussein, Nirmul Committee’s advisor freedom fighter Khalil Kazi, freedom fighter Lukman Hossain,

Bengali TV’s Samadul Haque, ATN’s Urmi Mazhar, JASOD’s Mojibul Haque Moni, , Shahin Akhtar, Nasima Rahim, Shahin Nahar, Salma Akhtar, Rozi, Shahnaz Shumi, Mita Kamran, Munira Molly, Miftat Noor, Mahmuda Moni , Nirmul Committee’s Ruby Haque, Pushpita Gupta, Smriti Azad, Salma Akhter Josna, Jubo Mohila League’s Sajia Snigdha & Jennifer. People of all levels of the community were present at the event.

On 29 November 2013, after months of battle with cancer, Nora Shariff passed away in her London home at the age of 70 years. She will always be fondly remembered as a true friend of Bangladesh.

jptoday – b. d. nath

london office :

An event titled ‘Reflections on 1971’ was held on 4 December at the University College London (UCL) organised by the UCL Bangla Society to coincide with the month of Victory of Bangladesh.

The event was held in Chadwick Building G08 UCL that included a documentary film screening and photo exhibition supported by the Drik Picture Library and the Swadhinata Trust. A panel based discussion with LSE’s Dr David Lewis, Drik CEO Saiful Islam & Rini Reka was chaired by Nazifa Ullah of UCL Bangla Society.

Saiful Islam gave a brief snapshot of Bangladesh’s contemporary history using images of Drik while Rini Reka spoke about her own experience of displacement during the war and finally taking refuge in neighbouring India and working in the refugee camps. Dr David Lewis brought the discussion to present day and Bangladesh’s position in the world today. He praised Bangladesh for moving forward despite being a war torn country in 1971. He said Bangladesh was doing well in terms of its economy and other social factors including health, and education.

Nazifa Ullah, one of the organisers of the event said 1971 marks the bloody birth of Bangladesh, and the end of the genocide endured by the people. The roots of 1971 can be traced back to the partition of India in 1947, the Bengali language movement, through to the 9 months of war and 3 million martyrs that liberated the country. She added, ‘The impacts of this period are still felt within regional, national and international spheres, and leave much to be discussed.

jptoday – b.d.nath

Jagannathpurtoday desk:

The much talked about Raniganj bridge on the river Kushiara in Jagannathpur upazila of Sunamganj would bring a major shift in the locals communication. It would reduce three hours for travelling from Sunamganj district town to the capital. Besides, their suffering in travelling via the divisional city of Sylhet is expected to be over.

Although the important project was taken up and approved years ago, but much time were spent without any development. At last, works on the project was started in 2017. The Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader laid foundation of the much-desired bridge in January, 2017.

The construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018. The distance between Jagannathpur upazila headquarters and Sunamganj district town would be reduced by 52 km, officials from the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) said.
However, it is almost impossible to complete things by the end of this year, concerned sources apprehended.

About 40 per cent works on the 702 meter long bridge of 10.25 metre wideth at Raniganj on the regional highway named Jagonnathpur-Pagla-Raniganj-Aushkandi. It would have 15 spans on 14 peers. It would also have 2.5 km long approaches. The PC and box guarder bridge is being constructed at a cost of Tk 1.268 billion, sources added.

Additional chief engineer of RHD, Sylhet zone, Md Shahnawaz said, “We are trying to complete the construction in time, but things would be delayed for some reasons.

The state minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan said the RHD officials have been asked to complete the work as soon as possible.