The Indian Nalanda Buddhist masters had made a huge contribution to spreading the doctrine of Buddhism to the Far East countries. Atisha Dipaikara, who was born as a royal prince to the Gaur family of Vikramanipur city in Bengal in the year 980 AD which was then under the Pala Empire of Ancient India, was the second among three of siblings of King Kalyan Shri and Queen Prabhavati and was given the name Chandragarbha, Tibet Press reported. The accounts of Atisha Dipankara’s life are found in Tibetan texts–biographies, doctrinal works, catalogues and hymns written in praise. On his path to spirituality, Atish studied under many great masters like Jetari, Guru Avadhuti, Sri Rakshita from whom he received his monk ordination and was given the name Dipankarasrijnana. The eminent spiritual Acharyas like Bodhidharma in China, Dhyanabhadra in Korea and Atisha Dipaikara in Tibet, are well-known saint philosophers who through their scholastic work have earned enormous recognition and became the figure of veneration down to the present in these countries. Further, in order to enhance the highest quality of knowledge and practice on Bodhichitta, Atisha travelled to Suvarnadvipa, presently known as Sumatra in Indonesia and studied under a sublime teacher named Dharmakirti who in Tibetan is known as Lama Serling pa. After studying for 12 long years in Suvarnadvuipa, when Atisha returned back to India he was appointed as the Abbot of Vikramashila monastery, Tibet Press reported. Through his skills in debate and philosophy, Atisha rose to a figure of prominence not only in India but his fame reached upto the land of snow i.e Tibet where Lha Lama Yeshe Od and his nephew Jangchup Od took great hardships in inviting him to Tibet. Subsequently, on his path to spirituality, Atish studied under many great masters like Jetari, Guru Avadhuti, Sri Rakshita etc. from whom he received his monk ordination and was given the name Dipankarasrijnana. Atisha was invited by Lha Lama Yeshe Od at the time when the state of Buddhism in Tibet was in a destitute condition as the 42nd Tibetan king Lang-dharma suppressed Buddhism under the influence of Bon religious protagonists. Buddhism in Tibet was nearly declined and the Buddha’s teachings were diluted by many misinterpretations. Upon his arrival in 1042, Atisha was given a warm welcome by Changchub Od and his people. During his stay in Tibet, Atisha emphasized on the revival of pure Mahayana doctrine by dispelling many misconceptions that continued earlier. Atisha and his disciples made corrections and revisions to the Tibetan translations of the Buddhist texts, thus, clarifying many confusing points. He also expounded several works on the principles and cult of the general and esoteric branches of Buddhism. Atisha Dipankara stayed in Tibet for 17 years and his noble deeds are gratefully remembered by all his disciples. Tibetan history credits Atisha Dipankara as the reformer of Buddhism and laying its foundation in pure form in Tibet, according to Tibet Press. Source: ANI  

The health ministry is performing a master plan centering six medical college hospitals and nursing colleges. Already the feasibility project has been completed titled ‘Feasibility study for establishment of six medical college and hospitals’. Taka 4 crore 67 lakh was spent to execute the master plan. The aim of the feasibility project is to implement different plans to establish six medical college and hospitals in the proposed districts of Habiganj, Naogaon, Netrokona, Nilfamari, Rangamati and Magura. Six different projects will be taken under the master plan. Health Economics Institute of Dhaka University is working as the consultant firm in this project. In this regard health services division Additional Secretary (development) Md. Saidur Rahman said, six medical college hospitals and nursing colleges have been constructed. At present student are participating classes without academic buildings. AH     

Igloo Ice Cream-A concern of Abdul Monem Limited, has been awarded with the prestigious Bangladesh Master Brand Award which was endorsed by CMO Asia. The award handover ceremony was held on Sunday at Pan Pacific Sonagaron Hotel in the capital. The award was handed over by World Federation of Marketing Professionals. S.M. Mainuddin Monem, Deputy Managing Director of Abdul Monem Limited received the award alongside G M Kamrul Hassan, Group CEO of Igloo, said a press release.   The award was presented in connection with the independent brand recognition exercise initiated to give recognition to those brands and marketers who have achieved extraordinary success from innovative and effective marketing practices in Bangladesh. The Award was based not only on financial valuation, but by consumer preferences also. The Awards are held to foster marketing awareness in the professional community and inspire aspirations to achieve marketing excellence. The Mission of the Awards is to educate and disseminate the importance of branding in Bangladesh. AH

Cutter Master of the national cricket team Mustafizur Rahman has tied the knot with his maternal uncle's daughter. The formalities of Mustafiz's wedding completed on Friday at Jagannathpur village of Satkhira district with Rawnaqul Islam Babu's daughter Sadia Parvin Shimu. The 'denmohor' of the marriage was fixed at 5 lakh and one taka. Earlier with parents and brothers along with other relatives numbering 30 to 32 Mustafiz reached at the house of Bride. He wore a 'sherwani' in the program but did not wear a 'pagri'. After reaching at the wedding house he sat on the stage for bridegroom by walking. Though Mustafiz did not talk to the newsmen but his elder brother Mahfuzur Rahman Mithu sought blessings from the countrymen for the newlywed couple. According to the family source, Sadia Parvin Shimu is the first year student of psychology department under Dhaka University. Shimu passed the SSC examination in 2016 under Nalta High School scoring golden A plus and also passed the HSC examination from Sakhipur Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah College of Debhata in 2018 scoring A plus. Mustafiz's another brother Mukhlesur Rahman Poltu said, the 'akd' was completed in a familial atmosphere but other wedding formalities will be completed after holding the world cup cricket tournament. AH  

    Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the LGRD ministry to sketch out a master plan to build up all upazila under a specific development design aimed at protecting cropland and check sporadic construction of buildings, roads and other structures. “Unplanned development of the upazilas should be regulated and roads and ways of the upazilas should have to be made in a planned manner to save cropland as well as public money,” she said while visiting the Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital on Sunday. Reports BSS.   The master plan should have a complete layout for housings, hospitals, markets, schools, colleges, playgrounds, agricultural farms, industries and other facilities, she said, adding that people would accept the concept if “we can do this once properly”. Referring to the Bangabandhu’s initiative to constitute 60 districts, the Prime Minister said Bangabandhu made every district as an administrative unit to carry out development works, adding that “We should also do something like that to ensure development from grassroots level”. Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Md Tazul Islam gave welcome address while it’s State Minister Swapan Bhattacharjee and Secretary SM Golam Faruk and senior officials of the ministry and Prime Minister Office were present. The Prime Minister said the government is mulling to prepare annual budget separately for every district and upazila considering its size, population and geographical aspects to meet the demands of the local people, reach the services to the doorsteps of the people and ensure optimum utilization of public money. Pointing out the importance of the LGRD Ministry for country’s development, the premier said her government wants to decentralize the administration gradually aimed at strengthening the local government bodies, engaging them in their local development initiatives and making all development sustainable. “We give highest budget allocation for the LGRD ministry. We will be able to alleviate poverty to a larger extent if the LGRD ministry functions properly,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the country would go ahead as quick as “we can free the country from poverty”. The Prime Minister said her government is taking overarching programs for development of education, healthcare and other sectors. But there should have plan considering the basic needs of the people living in village and town areas, she said. The premier said the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry is very important in terms of its size, activities and budget allocation. The tasks of the ministry are multifaceted and most important task of it is to ensure safe drinking water for the people, sanitation, development of rural roads and ways. So, “we have to accomplish many tasks under the ministry with a very specific plan,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said the ‘one house, one homestead’ project had been initiated so that every fallow land come under cultivation and rural people sell their produces under a cooperative system to help them find a source of income. The Prime Minister said military rulers destroyed the strength of mind of the people as a victorious nation. As a result, people were not yearning to work for the country from their respective fields and Bangladesh was branded very negatively across the world, she added. Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman liberated the nation to bring smile on the faces of the millions, but could not complete his dream. “We have to give importance to rural people and development should have to be taken place at grassroots level if we want the country to forward towards prosperity.” Laying importance on strengthening cooperative movement, the Prime Minister said her government, as prescribed in the constitution, has given importance on the public and private sector as well as cooperatives. She said Bangabandhu had envisaged for building every village under a planned way where better housing facilities, playgrounds, hospitals, croplands along with other civic amenities would exist. It’s a very difficult task to meet the demand of huge population on a small land like Bangladesh, she added. “So, we have to take our own development programs considering the geographical aspects, weather, soil condition and demography,” she also said. The Prime Minister said many tasks initiated by her government in 1996-2001 tenure were not completed by the next BNP government. But, it was an immense opportunity for her government to work for the nation for ten years since 2009 and take the nation on the way of a developing country, she continued. She expressed her firm conviction that Bangladesh would celebrate the golden jubilee of the independence as a hunger and poverty free nation, saying none would neglect Bangladesh in future. AH

Senior joint secretary general of BNP Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, though there is dissenting opinion in the Election Commission over using EVM but final initiatives of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to use those proves that he is determined to do election engineering. He is not directed by independent conscience. The decision of using Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the national election is the final master plan of vote rigging. He said these at a press conference at Nayapaltan in the capital on Friday. Rizvi said, a peaceful, beautiful and good public gathering will be held in front of party central office on Saturday. We have taken all the preparations to make the founding anniversary a success. We hope that huge participation of people will take place in the gathering. He said, people will not take it as positively if police would harass the BNP leaders and activists going door to doors on this occasion. They will give response. The BNP leader said, CEC has implanted his conscience with the spirit of voter less illegal government. It is proved that the one-sided decision of the CEC and some of his commissioners to use EVM is the final master plan for vote rigging though there was oppose from all sides. Rizvi said, experts think that the counting method of EVM can be entirely changed if anybody knows the secret code of it. The voter less Awami League alliance government wants to hold an election of rigging by buying rigging machines. But the people will through the master plan into dustbin. People will prevent the repetition of misdeed regarding votes. All the planning of the government will be demolished through the unity of people. On the occasion of 40th founding anniversary of BNP the public gathering will be held in front of party central office at Nayapaltan at 2 pm on Saturday. BNP leaders Ataur Rahman Dhali, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Mir Sarfat Ali Sapu, Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, Md. Monir Hossain and others were present at the press conference. AH