The State Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Shahriar Alam, MP inaugurated the Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Book Corner through an online program organized jointly by the Bangladesh High Commission in Brunei Darussalam and University Technology Brunei. The Bangladesh High Commissioner in Brunei Darussalam Mrs. Nahida Rahman Shumona, Vice-Chancellor of UTB Yang Mulia Professor Dr. Dayang Hajah Zohrah Binti Haji Sulaiman, dean of the diplomatic core, eight ambassadors, civil society, and members of Bangladesh community appeared virtually in the program.
The program started off with Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat by Yang Mulia Ustad Haji Fazalley bin Haji Hidup. The UTB VC expressed her happiness and satisfaction to have had Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Book Corner founded at the university library, decorated with books mainly on Bangabandhu and Bangladesh as well as showpieces highlighting the uniqueness and distinctness of the culture and tradition of Bangladesh. She particularly thanked the Hon’ble State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and Bangladesh High Commissioner for such a noble initiative. She opined that this kind of collaboration would help the students to develop as global citizens.
The Bangladesh High Commissioner expressed her unfettered joy and pride while expressing her gratefulness to the UTB authority for their support. She was deeply respectful to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and told, “August is the month of mourning for us. 46 years ago our father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his wife Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib and three sons, numerous relatives, and others were brutally killed by ruthless miscreants. I pay my deepest tribute to Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh and I am proud and grateful to say that his sacrifice and actions for creating independent Bangladesh enabled me to proudly represent Bangladesh in Brunei Darussalam. Under the visionary leadership of his daughter our Hon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we transformed our grief to strength and we are moving forward to sustainably developed Bangladesh at a steady pace.”
Paying deepest tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and hailing him as the greatest Bengalee of all times, the Hon’ble State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh told that he is truly honored and proud to launch the Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Book Corner at such an important time for Bangladesh during the ongoing celebrations of Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh. He ruefully recalled the depraved and unspeakable 15 August massacre killing Bangabandhu, Bangamata, their three sons, and other relatives, and martyrs. He also proudly highlighted how Bangabandhu wanted to put a country newly liberated from the ravages of war into the development trajectory leading to the ‘Sonar Bangla’ as envisioned by Bangabandhu. Despite his sad demise on 15 August 1975 and despite numerous setbacks in its aftermath, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, through her dynamic leadership, has established Bangladesh today as one of the promising countries which would soon graduate to become a middle-income country from the status of the least developed country.
Recognizing Brunei Darussalam as a friendly nation of Bangladesh, the Hon’ble State Minister also recalled the visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina to Brunei Darussalam in 2019, and highly expected the reciprocal visit of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulahibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam to Bangladesh while acknowledging the trouble posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also highlighted the Rohingya problem in Bangladesh and hoped that the situation of Myanmar would improve at the wise and prudent guidance, thoughts, skills, and political acumen of the Special Envoy to Myanmar, Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof.