The October 18 marks a special day, the birth anniversary of Sheikh Russelll. Sheikh Russelwas the youngest child of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
He was born in the midnight and when he was born, Bangabandhu was in Chittagong for partisan work. Listening to the news he rushed back home and took him on the lap and named him Russell after the Nobel laureate and British philosopher, Bertrand Russelll, who was the favorite writer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.Sheikh Rehanaapa, wrote in her descriptions that,Russell was like a doll, and he had a beautiful smile. Russell’s two eyes were full of infinite surprise. Sheikh Russell had a natural simplicity and innate quality to attract others. Although Bangabandhu shared a public life and his home used to be his office and place of political gathering and often Russell would sit in the middle of the discussions and just be observant.
Russell was only 11, On August 15, 1975, when he was brutally assassinated along with most of his family members. He was just a student of class four. No words can describe the gross violation of the human rights that we experienced that day. Can you imagine, what was he going through? His family members were killed one by one before his eyes. Our little Russell felt the pain that no one in a civilized world can endure.
Right after the dark night in the history of Bangladesh, the martial law regime enacted the Indemnity Ordinance to allow immunity from facing judicial trials. For around 20 years, the humanity fought and during Awami League Tenure, in 1996, the Indemnity Act was put to a full stop, setting the stage for a transparent judicial process. This journey was long, but it was necessary to ensure that the demands of the law were met and justice to be served.This remarkable judgement stands as a proof to our governments commitment to uphold human rights, international conventions and rule of law. And after over 50 years of that crime, here we are, trying to keep our little Russell’s spirit alive.
Our government has always been deeply committed to the cause of Child and Youth Rights in our nation. We addressed challenges ranging from access to quality education, healthcare, and nutrition to protection from exploitation, child labour, and early marriage and even in the growing digital age we are addressing cyberbullying and online harassment to provide our children a better life be in physical or in digital world through series of initiatives. We published awareness guidebook using cartoon and storytelling format for children, introduced a national campaign and connected over a million children across Bangladesh.Along with local context, we have also taken global leadership in raising awareness on cyber security for children. Last year, we partnered with UNDP Bangladeshin awareness of the cyber security awareness for children. We fund raised together and introduced a global award named Bangabandhu International Cyber Security Awareness Award, through which we will be celebrating students, parents, institutions who are working to ensure a safe cyber space for our children.
Under the visionary leadership of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and also Honorable Adviser to the Honorable Prime Minister SajeebWazed, skill development of our children has also been prioritized. Since 2015 under Sheikh Russell Digital Lab project, we have established 13,000 labs school level education institutions located across country with a target to establish 35,000 by 2030. We have also established 300 Sheikh Russell Schools of Future located in every division of the country equipped with technological instruments for an interactive education system. These platforms are paving the way for our children becoming skilled on various technological subjects like basic productivity elements, programing, robotics etc.
We have partnered with UNICEF Bangladesh and launched Digital portal named Kishor Batayon, an education platform, providing school education based on gamifications. Through Kishor batayon, along with regular education, we are also focusing on early knowledge and awareness building of our children on health and safety, life skills, problem solving skills and even we are trying to provide them entertainments in terms of providing them digital comics.
Currently under ICT Division, we are establishing Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology (SHIFT), that will change the way of school level education in the country. Through SHIFT, we will introduce learning-based education system and nurturing a talent on their natural interest, so then every student can become the master of their own interests, that will let the work become enjoyment for them.
Children should be a free spirit, like our little Sheikh Russell. We must strive to create a nation where the rights of our children and youth are upheld, the challenges they face are addressed, and their active participation in nation-building is encouraged.
Building on the four pillars, Smart Bangladesh vision 2041 envisions for a country with infinite opportunitiesled by Digitally competent, innovative and collaborative, progressive, ethical, secular and compassionate youths of the country. Youths will play a key role in creating public-private services through e-participation and will work together on GenAI-centric frontier technology platforms and will also make necessary policy transformations towards building a knowledge-based society. Today’s children will become tomorrow’s youth and will lead Bangladesh towards an economic and technological excellence. We will keep on working for an enabling environment for our children.Brutal Assassination of Child Sheikh Russel:The Gross Human Rights Violation in The Human History.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Hon’ble Minister of State, Departmentof Information and
Communication Technology