PM for more practice of culture to keep youths away from drug, terrorism

Online Desk : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today put emphasis on enhancing the practice of culture and sports to keep the young generation away from drug, terrorism and militancy, saying that it is indispensible for development of the country,
“We want to take the country towards further development and prosperity and I think more practices of our culture and sports are very essential for attaining the goal,” she said, inaugurating the month-long drama festival across the country through a videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital.

The prime minister said practices of sports and games and culture are essential to bring children, juveniles and the young generation to the right path as nowadays drug, terrorism and militancy take a family and a society to ruination.

“As much as we’ll be able to engage them in the sports, games and cultural practices, we’ll be able to bring them to a right path to that extent,” she said.

Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has arranged the National Drama Festival 2020 with the participation of 400 drama groups across 64 districts of the country.

Noting that the flourishing of cultural manifests a quality of a nation, Sheikh Hasina said, “We’ll have to keep up this characteristic.”
She said the nature of a nation can be portrayed, presented or disseminated through the practices of a culture by all irrespective of religion, cast and creed.

“A country is developed and it can project itself before the entire world when the nation is enriched in culture, education and sports and games,” she said.

The prime minister recalled the contributions of the country’s cultural activists to different democratic movements.

“Our cultural activists are making huge contributions to spreading the words of the minds of the people through songs, poems and stage dramas,” she said. The prime minister extended her sincere thank to Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation for taking the initiative for the month-long drama festival on the eve of Mujib Borsho.

“Through the festival, Bangladesh’s culture will advance further,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said after the independence, the Father of the Nation gave utmost importance to the practice of culture. “Following his footprint, we’re also putting emphasis on flourishing culture in the country,” she said.

The prime minister said Bangabandhu had waived “promod kar” (tax) on stage drama following the demands of the drama activists.

“After coming to power in 1996, we lifted many black laws and the censorship imposed on the stage dramas,” she said.The premier reminisced that she watched the famous drama “Nurul Diner Sara Jibon” at Mohila Samity Auditorium two or three times. “As much as I watched the drama, I could not control my tears,” she said.

While talking about the government’s different steps for the flourishing of culture, she said her government has taken initiatives so that the practice of art and culture is made across the country.

“We’ve also taken measures for modernising the auditoriums so that cultural programmes are staged there smoothly,” she said.

Bangladesh Shipakata Academy (BSA) and its divisional offices in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet joined the videoconference.

PM’s Adviser HT Imam and State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and secretaries concerned were present at the function, conducted by PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus.

Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation President and Director General of Shilpakala Academy Liakat Ali Lucky and other office bearers of the federation were also present on the occasion.

Some 30,000 drama activists from 400 drama groups of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation will join the stage-drama extravaganza and a total of 302 dramas are scheduled to be staged in all the BSA venues across the country.
(BSS)