Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reappointed Sajeeb Wazed Joy as part-time and honorary Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adviser.   Joy was appointed as the PM's adviser under the relevant section of the Rules of Business, 1996, according to a circular issued on Sunday (Jan 21) signed by Director (administration) of the Prime Minister's Office M Ahsan Kibria Siddique. PM's assistant press secretary MM Emrul Kayas confirmed it to BSS. Joy would carry out his duties in line with instructions and suggestions of the prime minister.    

President urges the affluent towards standing beside the deprived amidst the Eid-ul-Azha celebration, and invites the financially privileged and responsible class of the country to come forward and stand beside the socially disadvantaged and marginalized people, to make the Eid joyful for everyone.  He conveyed this message while extending Eid greetings to the people. This auspicious message of the President was recorded during the holy Hajj greetings delivered by the President in Saudi Arabia. "We must share the joy of Eid-ul-Azha with our loved ones, neighbors, and acquaintances.  Let us forget violence, hatred and spread the joy of Eid among everyone," he said. On the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, President Md Shahabuddin conveys heartfelt greetings to all Muslims in the country and around the world, and states that we must sacrifice the animal from our hearts alongside overcoming all sorrow, violence, and animosity.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon everyone to share the joy of Eid. On Saturday, April 22, Prime Minister made this statement while exchanging Eid greetings at Ganabhaban. Prime Minister said, "We should think about whether there is a conspiracy by arsonists in recent fire incident issue one after another." Point to be noted that, several fire incidents occurred in Dhaka this month. Among them, the two biggest fire incidents happened in Bangabazar and New Super Market. Many people also expressed doubts about the fire incidents one after another.  Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabandhu, spoke about the fire incidents during the exchange of Eid greetings at the Ganabhaban on Saturday, April 22.  Sheikh Hasina said, "Several fire incidents in New Super Market-Bangbazar and other areas, it should be seen whether there is any conspiracy by arsonists. I feel sorry for the traders who have been affected by these fires." Urging everyone to share the joy of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr with the people close to them and the poor people of the society, the Prime Minister said, "Let us stand by the family, relatives, neighbors and all the poor, and helpless people of the society and share the joy of Eid with everyone." Prime Minister added, "Eid-ul-Fitr has come after a month of fasting. May Eid-ul-Fitr bring us endless joy, happiness and peace."

On the eve of launching of country’s first elevated metro rail service, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, ICT affairs advisor to Sheikh Hasina, took to his Twitter, announcing a new era into country’s transportation system. Linking the launching of much awaited metro service as “new era”, Sajeeb Wazed stated “initially ten set trains with six coaches will run from Uttara to Agargaon.” With prime minister Sheikh Hasina set to inaugurate the service taking the first ride by herself, netizens on social  media, mainly city dwellers surrounding the areas that fall under the coverage, hailed the move. In 2022, the country witnessed some of its biggest engineering marvels become operational including the biggest infrastructure undertaking — Padma Multipurpose Bridge, a testimony according to netizens testifies to Sheikh Hasina’s unparalleled leadership capabilities.

A multiplex cinema was thrown open to the public in Srinagar on Tuesday which was historic as halls were shut down due to violence for three decades. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated this cinema hall with all modern facilities. Built by INOX and owned by Vijay Dhar, the multiplex at Shivpora in Srinagar had a seating capacity of 520 persons in its three big auditoriums. The multiplex will have a restaurant and gaming zone for kids in the coming months as these two facilities are being built. Srinagar city had 12 famous cinemas but they were shut down in the 90s when militancy broke out in the Valley which tore its social and peaceful atmosphere. The cinemas were banned by a militant group called 'Allah Tigers' and since then it was curtains down in these cinemas which today are deserted like ghost houses. Today's event is historic for youth who have seen turmoil and violence in the last three decades. Kashmir and Bollywood have a historic bond which is as old as Bollywood. Life was enhanced by the picturesque beauty of the valley which filmmakers found a perfect shot for filmmaking. Sinha during the inauguration speech said remanded people of this old bond. He said that late Bollywood actor Shammi Kapoor loved to call himself "Kashmir Ka Kaddoo" and for his love for Kashmir his ashes were immersed in the famous Dal Lake. Before the 90s many famous Bollywood hits like Kashmir ki Kali, and Bobby was shot in Kashmir which put the audience in awe. Bollywood and cinema became a medium to promote Kashmir's tourism to the outside world. Shah Adnan, a young businessman from Srinagar, said that it is a historic day for him to see a Bollywood movie in a cinema hall in Srinagar. Shah has watched movies in metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Banglore or OTT platforms. "Kashmir seemed backwards when people outside asked us about the absence of cinema. Youth in Kashmir now have entertainment at their doorstep," he said. Kashmir's youth was deprived of this major entertainment due to militancy and today's event seems to have brought curtains down to the dark memories of radical groups. Renowned journalist and host of famous TV news show "Aap ki Adalat" Rajat Sharma who was in Srinagar on a historic day, said that Bollywood actor Salman Khan shared with him in the past that it was his dream to have a cinema in Kashmir. "I am going to tell my friend Salman Khan that his dream of seeing a cinema in Kashmir that he had shared with me during the shooting of Bhajrangi Bhaijan has come true," Sharma said. Vijay Dhar who owns the cinema said that after the 90s youth have not seen films in the cinema. "Youth of Kashmir had no means of entertainment in cinemas. The cinema will provide them with the experience which they missed during the last 30 years," he said. The INOX cinema will screen movies for Kashmiris from October 1 and tickets will be available from September 26. "It is exciting to watch films on the big screen. I am happy that we have a multiplex in the city. I along with my friends are energy waiting for October 1 to watch our first film on the screen," said Abbas Khan, a college-going youth who is yet to see what a cinema hall looks like. LG Manoj Sinha said that such changes have become possible in Kashmir due to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took a historic step on August 5, 2019, to reshape Jammu and Kashmir and end its gloomy past. Sinha said that all districts of Jammu and Kashmir will have 100-seater Cinema halls where youth can entertain themselves. Sinha last week inaugurated two cinema halls in once militancy-hotspots of Shopian and Pulwama in south Kashmir. Source: ANI

BNP’s recent pledges before the public over power sector rang hollow as it comes without any acknowledgment and even extension of any apology over rampant corruption spree overseen by fugitive convict Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of BNP, during its regime. Prime Minister's ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy today pointed out such dismal tale of corruption taken on an unprecedented scale by BNP-Jamaat during its last tenure between 2001 and 2006 on power and called it a shameless party for vowing to reform the power sector that it has destroyed driven by its leaders’ lust for money.   The latest remark from the ICT exponent came through a Facebook post on his verified account along with a audiovisual titled 'Reformation proposal by Mirza Fakhrul's quarter: will BNP revive the power sector that it has destroyed?' The only feat BNP achieved during its tenure is activating the operation of Tongi Power Station through overhauling on September 3, 2005. Its plaque was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. But, the power station tripped even before she could reach Abdullahpur in Uttara after inaugurating it, Joy recalled. "Mirza Fakhrul vowed before media that if they came to power, they will change the power sector beyond imagination.  During their tenure between 2001 to 2006, BNP couldn’t add even single megawatt electricity to the grid. In the name of electricity generation, Tarique's cohorts with a Hawa Bhaban syndicate looted billions of bucks by simply erecting electric posts," said the commentary in the video. Source: BSS AH

Padma Bridge is not just an engineering masterpiece but a symbol of pride and dignity of Bangladesh as well and all the people of the country equally share this glory, said Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy in a facebook status.   “Padma Bridge stands majestically above the river marked with one of the strongest currents in the world. Braving a spectrum of challenges, we have finally executed this self-funded project. It's your and my hard-earned money that contributed to this success,” said Joy.   He wrote monsoon is around and the river Padma will be bulging soon, the most treacherous one only after the Amazon. Since independence, people of the entire Southern region have been required to risk life for crossing the river throughout the year, he said. But that risky journey seems to end on June 26 as the Awami League government has bridged people’s dream with reality, building a bridge to make their journey safer, easier, faster and hassle-free, he added.  “It was beyond the imagination of the world that a developing country in South Asia could handle this masterpiece structure with its own fund,” he said, adding that but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's indomitable courage and vision made this happen. “Now this success story of Bangladesh is acclaimed all across the planet. Padma Bridge, awaiting an awe-inspiring inauguration on June 25, symbolizes the dignity of Bangladesh on the global stage,” he wrote.  Joy said this bridge has connected around one-third of the country's land area, entangled with rivers, to the capital. Consequently, it will catalyze the local and international trades of Bangladesh, he said, adding that in addition to transforming the economic footing of around 50 million people of the South-west part of the country, it will also ensure a rise in the national income by at least 1.5 percent a paradigm shift for the entire Bangladesh. He said the future of Bangladesh hinges much on this bridge. “Padma Bridge with my money, Padma Bridge for my country”, Joy concluded.  Source: BSS AH

Commemorating the historic 1971 'Concert for Bangladesh', the ICT Ministry recently organized another concert at the same, Madison Square Garden in the US, evoking the precedence of 'melody for humanity' set by the world's all-time best musicians, said Prime Minister's ICT Affairs Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy.  Sharing the vibe of the concert on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday, Joy, who was singing and cheering as part of the crowd, wrote: "This weekend I relived that moment as we paid tribute to that melody-for-humanity event through another concert on the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh".  Reminiscing the unforgettable lyric by George Harrison on war-torn Bangladesh, 'My friend came to me/ With sadness in his eyes/ He told me that he wanted help/ Before his country dies', he wrote, "Beatles' star George Harrison didn't just write and compose the song but also went on to think about doing something that might help the people of Bangladesh, a victim of one of history's worst genocides. He reached out to maestros like Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, who also agreed to drum up support for the cause. Rest is history. Concert for Bangladesh set the precedence of helping a victim-of-war nation through a concert." "Whenever I watch it on YouTube, it takes me back to a golden moment - George Harrison singing the song Bangladesh, Bob Dylan rendering 'How many roads a man must walk down', and Pundit Ravi Shankar playing his fingers on his sitar like a storm. They are sharing the same stage!" he added. "The dream for Bangladesh, as the world's all-time greatest rock stars and musical masters had seen, came true as the war-torn country back in 1971 is now an epitome of sustained progress and development. From the engineering masterpiece Padma Bridge to the technological feat Bangabandhu Satellite, Bangladesh has made inspiring history. Still, no success story goes unchallenged by a few people with wrong intentions," he further wrote. Calling upon the countrymen to remain vigilant against the peddlers of religion and supporters of war criminals, he also wrote, "We must be careful so that the ghosts of war criminals cannot bring the dark chapters back. We must show zero tolerance to the peddlers of religion. We must stand united on our promise for Golden Bengal on this Golden Jubilee".  "Let's sing Harrison's Bangladesh together once more and let the world hear it. This time the promise on this Golden Jubilee is to build Golden Bangla, the dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," he continued.  Scorpions rocked the stage on Sunday while Bangladeshi band Chirkutt appeared there as a guest performer. Source: BSS AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said military dictators Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad formed the political parties to legitimize the state power they seized illegally, condemning their parties for lack of involvement with democracy. "Both Ziaur Rahman and Ershad formed BNP and Jatiya Party respectively to legitimize the power they seized illegally. These parties have no involvement with the democratic system of the country, they rather are regularly cheating on the ordinary people in the name of politics," he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Joy lashed out at the two military dictators for having no 'pro-people or pro-state political philosophy'. He said, "The leaders of the BNP, who claimed themselves as the opposition, do not have any pro-people or pro-state political philosophy. Rather, their party constitution encourages corruption as there is no example in world history to amend the party constitution to induct the corrupt persons into it." Joy also heavily criticized BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, saying, "Dictator Ziaur Rahman, basically, formed the BNP to perpetuate the illegally occupied power. He supplied guns to the university students on the pretext of introducing his party's student wing".  In the guise of forming committees across the country, BNP organized all terrorists and miscreants and formed a special force as Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman also continued the same trend later, he said. "When these parties were in power illegally, they did not let any strong opposition grow through their subversive activities and repression. In this digital era, the leaders and activists of these parties are also constantly fooling and confusing ordinary people by spreading rumours online. As a result, other parties are not getting the opportunity to criticize the government constructively and give good advice on various issues," he further said. "The party was isolated from public connection during its birth. Therefore, its leaders and activists are also isolated from one another and their relations are mainly in exchange for money," he added. Comparing the inception of ruling Awami League and that of opposition parties, Joy said, “The Awami League was born in 1949 through a mass movement against the exploitation of the Pakistani government. This party appeared as strong opposition by organizing people to take to the streets in all movements and struggles. But the position of the two so-called main opposition parties in Bangladesh is just the opposite. Both BNP and Jatiya Party were born overnight as government parties." Source: BSS AH

Condemning the people who capitalize on religion to serve their interests, Prime Minister's ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy remarked that the religion card, as history suggests, cannot be played on Bengalis for long. Wishing everyone Shuvo Noboborsho (Happy New Year) from his verified Facebook account, he urged the countrymen to uphold the non-communal spirit and peaceful coexistence of all castes and creeds. "The majority of our population are practicing Muslims, but not fundamentalists. To protect the Bengali language and culture, our ancestors once heavily resisted the people who capitalized on religion to serve their interests," he wrote.  "Consequently, Awami League secured 223 out of 237 Muslim seats in the 1954-Jukto Front election while religion peddlers got only nine seats. Traditionally, the people of Bangla are simple and religious but neither outwardly showy of religiousness nor peddlers of religion," Sajeeb added. Reflecting on the spirit of the 1971-Liberation War, he said, "You know that secularism is one of the four founding principles anchoring Bangladesh, born through a long, historic struggle and its peak - the 1971-Liberation War."  "Everyone will practice his religious rites and be tolerant and respectful towards the beliefs of others, and no one will resort to violence centering on religion - this is the basic tenet of secularism, which in no way can face off with the ethnic Bengali culture," he added. Reiterating the need for nurturing Bengali culture, he said, "Over the last few decades, our fathers and forefathers dedicated everything to this culture and language. Three million people consigned their lives to this country with the dream of a sovereign land whose guiding principle would be equality. They envisioned a society void of exploitation. That country has emerged as Digital Bangladesh on the global stage, owing to the vision of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina." "We must channel our efforts to uphold the legacy of Bengali culture paying a tribute to the unconditional sacrifice of our ancestors. The most crucial thread of this culture is non-communalism and the peaceful coexistence of all castes and creeds. Let the promise of building a modern, peaceful, and prosperous Bangladesh ring in the new year," he added. Source: BSS AH