Staff correspondent :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to the world leaders to end war and arms race for the welfare of mankind and strongly condemned the killing of innocent people including women and children in the recent attack on a hospital in Gaza.
He said, ‘We saw the killing of people and children and the bloodied faces of children by bombing hospitals in Gaza yesterday. I call on world leaders to stop the war and the arms race.’
 Sheikh Hasina also said that war and arms race can never bring welfare to mankind instead of destruction. Women and children suffer the most in war. The arms race should be spent on the welfare of children around the world.
On the occasion of the 60th birthday of Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Chief Minister was the chief guest at the ‘Sheikh Russell Day-2023’ and distribution of ‘Sheikh Russell Medal-2023’ and ‘Smart Bangladesh Medal-2023’ among the winners in various categories. He said this in his speech.
He awarded ‘Sheikh Russell Medal and Smart Bangladesh Medal’ to the winners.
The event was jointly organized by the Sheikh Russell National Shishu Kishore Parishad and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department of the government at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Referring to the Ukraine-Russia war and Israel’s aggression on Palestine, the Prime Minister said, “The war that is going on all over the world today, women and children are dying in Palestine and also in Israel.” Yesterday I saw that the hospital was bombed. People died there, children died, I saw the bloody faces of those children.
He said, I will tell twenty leaders – stop the war. Stop the arms race. War and weapons do not bring human well-being. Children and women suffer the most. And youth gives life. Parents lost children. Parents lose children. We know their pain.
The Prime Minister said that during the liberation war in 1971, he saw the horrors of the war, how people’s bodies were lying on the streets. And after the killing of the father of the nation on August 15, 1975, he was forced to spend his life as a refugee in exile.
The Prime Minister said, we two sisters of ’75 and our families know what this pain is. We had to stay abroad as refugees. That’s more trouble. I can’t identify myself, other people’s country, language is different. I had to stay there and there was an uncertainty when I would return to the country – that’s how I had to spend six years.
 Sheikh Hasina said, ‘We don’t want war, we want peace. Peace brings prosperity, and war only destroys. That is why I am calling for an end to the war.’
He said that the money spent on making these weapons and the arms race should be spent on food, health and development of children around the world. That is our demand, that is what we want. We always work for peace.
The Prime Minister said in an emotional voice, “My little Russell is like gold, and no one should have to die like this.” A flower should not fall without blooming. That is my wish. He also expressed his promise to make the world habitable for newborns by citing a few lines of poet Sukanta’s farewell poem.
The Prime Minister inaugurated a number of projects across the country implemented by the Government Information and Communication Department and laid the foundation stone of several projects.
Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun received the medal from the Prime Minister as Bangladesh Police won the ‘Smart Bangladesh’ medal in the government category. Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka, Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts won this medal in the same category and the respective District Administrators also received medals from the Prime Minister.
At the same time, the Prime Minister also distributed prizes to the winners of the month-long sports, painting and cultural competitions on the occasion of ‘Sheikh Russell Day-2023’.
At the beginning of the program, a discussion meeting was held with the performance of the national anthem. A theme song about Sheikh Russell was performed immediately after the award ceremony. And it ended with prayers and prayers for the souls of the martyrs of August 15, 1975, including Sheikh Russel.
State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak presided over the event.
Secretary of Information and Communication Technology spoke as a special guest. Shamsul Arefin, acting chairman of the organizing organization. Chowdhury Nafees Sharafat, organizing secretary Fariduddin Ahmed Ratan and child speaker Samira Nair Chowdhury.
 Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad General Secretary KM Shahidullah delivered the welcome speech.
A video message by former Indian Army officer Colonel Ashok Kumar Tara was aired at the event. He expressed his own feelings as he saw Russell after the release of the Bangabandhu family from Pakistani captivity on 17 December 1971.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister unveiled the cover of Sheikh Russell’s biographical book ‘Smraner Abarne Sheikh Russell’ edited by ICT State Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak.
The trailer of the three-dimensional film ‘Ahrm Russell Sona’ based on the book ‘Ahrm Russell Sona’ written by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was screened at the event. On the occasion of Sheikh Russell Day 2023, a documentary produced by the Department of Information and Communication was also screened.
Today is the 60th birthday of Shaheed Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s younger brother Sheikh Russell was born on this day in 1964 at the historic Bangabandhu Bhavan in memory-studded Dhanmondi. His birthday has been declared as ‘Sheikh Russell Day’ to highlight the life of Shishu Russell to children and teenagers. This time, the theme of the celebration of ‘Sheikh Russell Day-2023’ for the third time in the state is ‘Sheikh Russell Radiant, Fearless Nirmal Durjoy’.
On August 15, 1975, the child Sheikh Russell did not escape from the ruthless bullets of the hateful killers, the enemies of humanity. Along with Bangabandhu, the cannibals also brutally killed him. Russell was then a fourth-year student at the University Laboratory School.

The Prime Minister said, since the formation of the government, my efforts have been to develop Bangladesh socio-economically. Providing adequate schools, books and sports for young children. Through these I have helped to raise children. I have made arrangements to practice sports and culture from childhood.
Reminiscing about the imprisonment of 71 years, he said, the country became independent on December 16, we were still prisoners. ‘Blocked door, free soul’. Once they tried to come in and attack us. A tiny wire saves us. The officer falls on a clothesline, then gets back up. Later Colonel Ashok Tara came and freed us on 17th December.
Sheikh Hasina said, during the liberation war, Russel saw the parade of soldiers from our prison. He used to go to the village house and parade with the children. Children were also given prizes. His big dream in life was to become an army officer when he grew up. But he did not let his dream come true.
He said, on August 15, 1975, after killing his parents and brothers, the killers brutally killed Russell. At that time my younger sister Sheikh Rehana and I were abroad. I could not come to the country for six years. And we had no right to seek justice for this murder. The Zia Indemnity Ordinance blocked the prosecution of the murderers.
The Prime Minister said, Sheikh Russell Shishu Kishore Parishad was established by me on February 20, 1989. At that time there was a dictatorship in the country. There was no open environment for boys and girls to play sports, music or anything like that. History was being distorted. Our children could not know the spirit of freedom, the history of liberation war and victory, the history of so much sacrifice and blood donation at that time. This organization was established in an effort to make children fit citizens of the independent country at that time. Today, many children of this organization are working with responsibility in various important areas of the country.
He said, to develop the latent intelligence and thinking of children. Instilling in them love for people and a sense of responsibility and duty, as well as making them fit to see with the eyes that all people are equal, regardless of religion and caste. People with disabilities should be treated equally and accommodated. In this way, he called on the children to develop themselves as people for people.