PM condemns attack on Gaza hospital

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina denounced the attack on a hospital in Gaza that killed innocent people including children, reiterating her call to global leaders to stop the war and arms race for the wellbeing of mankind.

"We saw killing of people and children by bombing on a hospital in Gaza and blood stained faces of the children yesterday. I am urging the world leaders to stop the war and arms race," she said.

The prime minister was addressing a programme marking the Sheikh Russel Day-2023 and distribution of Sheikh Russel Padak-2023 and Smart Bangladesh Padak-2023 coinciding with 60th birthday of Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Sheikh Russel Jatiyo Shishu Kishore Parishad and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division jointly organized the programme at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).

The prime minister said the war and arms race never brought welfare for the mankind except destruction and the women and children are the worst sufferers of the conflicts.

She urged the world leaders to spend the money, used in producing arms, for food, health and development of the children.

"We want peace as it gives prosperity while the war brings destruction. So, we don't want war rather peace. We always work for establishing the peace," she said.

She also said the world witnessed beginning of Russia-Ukraine war last year and now sees the Israeli attack on Palestine.

People and children are being killed both in the Palestine and Israel, the premier said.

In such way, she said the children are becoming orphans losing their parents and the parents are losing their children in the war.

"We know their pain as we two sisters had become orphans in 1975," she said.

The prime minister said they had seen the dreadfulness of the war for themselves during the War of Liberation in 1971.

"I had seen by my own eyes the bodies lying down at different parts of Dhaka city," she said.

She said she and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were in forced exile abroad six years.

"Spending time as refugee, without knowing when we could return to our country, was the most painful. So, we don't want war rather peace" she said.

At the function, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and five Deputy Commissioners (DCs) from Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Panchagar and Thakurgaon districts received the Smart Bangladesh Padak-2023 from the premier.

Sheikh Hasina also distributed Sheikh Russel awards among the winners of the competitions in different categories including education, painting, sports and cultural.

At the same programme, the prime minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stone of some development schemes including Sheikh Russel Animation Lab and Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centers under the ICT Division by swiping a smart card.

She, as well, unveiled the cover of a book titled "Swaroner Aborone Sheikh Russel" edited by ICT Division State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

A video message regarding Sheikh Russel's memory of Indian Army's Col (rtd) Ashok Kuma Tara was broadcast at the programme. Tara rescued the family members of Bangladesh's Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the captivity of the Pakistani occupation forces.

Presided over by ICT Division's State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the programme was also addressed, among others, by ICT Division Secretary Md. Shamsul Arefin, Sheikh Russel Jatiyo Shishu Kishore Parishad Acting Chairman Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, Secretary General KM Shahidullah, Organising Secretary Fariduddin Ahmed Raton and child speaker Amira Nayer Chowdhury.