ZCZC
BSS-16
PM-PHILANTHROPY-SHAHA-TWO LAST
Sheikh Hasina appreciated the Kumudini Welfare Trust for giving “Danveer Ranada Prasad Shaha Smarak Gold Medal” to four eminent personalities including legendary political leader and former Prime Minister of erstwhile Pakistan Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (posthumous).
In this context, she said that Rashid Suhrawardy, the only son of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, became very happy hearing his father’s nomination for the gold medal and expressed his desire to receive it personally.
“It was a matter of sorrow that Rashid Suhrawardy died a few days back,” she said.
Recalling her first visit to Kumudini, the premier said, “I came here probably in 56 or 57 with my father (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) and mother (Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa).”
“While visiting the place, Bangabandhu became overwhelmed to see the scenario of the area and expressed his desire to get me admitted to Kumudini.
But, it wasn’t possible as my father was arrested soon after declaration of the martial law in 1958,” she continued.
She mentioned that she was emotionally touched with the memory of RP Shaha’s family, saying, “Bijoya aunty (eldest daughter of RP Shaha) came to our house with cooked foods after assassination of the Father of the Nation and most of his family members on August 15 in 1975.”
She also recalled her visit to the old Dhaka’s Sadarghat residence of RP Shaha.
Remembering the killings of RP Shaha and his son Bhabani Prasad Shaha by Pakistani occupation forces on May 7 during the War of Liberation in 1971, the premier said she knew the agony of loosing near and dear ones, as she lost most of her family members including father, mother and brothers (except herself and her sister Sheikh Hasina) on August 15 in 1975.
But, she reiterated her firm commitment to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country by freeing it from hunger and poverty, saying, “I will be the happiest person at that moment when I will be able to complete the unfinished tasks of my father by building a ‘Sonar Bangladesh’ as dreamt by him.”
Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened 14 development projects and laid the foundation stones of 17 other schemes by unveiling their plaques from Kumudini Complex here.
She also laid the foundation stones of Bharateswari Homes Multipurpose Hall and the Institute of Post Graduate Nursing Complex on Kumudini Complex.
The Prime Minister later visited Kumudini Hospital.
BSS/SH/AHJ/GA/1546 hrs