By Aminul Islam Mirja

NEW DELHI, Sept 02, 2021 (BSS) – Press Club of India (PCI) is going to set up a media centre after the name of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking the Birth Centenary of the great leader, who struggled throughout his life for establishing rights of people.

The media centre titled “Bangabandhu Media Centre”, equipped with modern digital facilities including an exhibition hall, will be set up at the first floor of the club building in cooperation with Bangladesh mission in New Delhi. The club was established in December 20, 1957.   

Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud, who will be visiting New Delhi from September 5 to 8, is expected to inaugurate the media centre on September 6 as the chief guest, PCI sources told BSS today.

Sources familiar with the minister’s upcoming visit also said the minister is expected to meet with his Indian counterpart Anurag Thakur, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla during his four-day visit.

Besides, he is scheduled to place floral wreaths at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, visit Swachhata Kendra there and will interact with media people apart from giving interview to the Doordarshan.

Talking to BSS, PCI President Umakant Lakhera said, “We are going to set up Bangabandhu Media Centre” at the Press Club of India (PCI) having over 4,300 members, to mark the Birth Centenary of the founder of Bangladesh and the great friend of India”.

“It is a tribute to such a leader in the region who was a journalist and contributed a lot to media fraternity in the region…Not only in Bangladesh but also he (Bangabandhu) is equally popular in India,” he added.
 
Giving details, he said when the matter of setting up “Bangabandhu Media Centre” on the club premises was brought to the club’s managing committee meeting, all members gladly approved the proposal.

“The media centre will facilitate media activities as journalists will get opportunities to file their stories from the media centre,” he added. He thanked Bangladesh New Delhi mission for extending all-out cooperation to this end.   

When the BSS correspondent approached for comments on the issue, former PCI President Gautam Lahiri said the press club on behalf of Indian media feels proud as it has got the opportunity to express deep respect to a great leader like Bangabandhu by setting up the media centre during his birth centenary.

Describing Bangabandhu as a friend of journalist community, he said Bangabandhu used to believe in press freedom for building a happy and prosperous society. Bangabandhu was the pioneer for establishing India-Bangladesh bilateral relations, he added.

“He (Bangabandhu) was a great leader in South Asia . . . his ideology is a message to everyone irrespective of ages,” he said, adding that the journalists fraternity in India is equally proud of Bangabandhu, who used to raise his voice for their welfare.    

Earlier, Lovely University in Punjab established “Bangabandhu Corner” in collaboration with Bangladesh mission in New Delhi recently.   

Sources said more than 30 universities across India have expressed eagerness to set up “Bangabandhu corners” on their premises so that the new generations could know about the great leader.  

The Indian Centre for Cultural Relations (ICCR) had established “Bangabandhu Chair” at the India’s premier Delhi University in honour of the Father of Bengali Nation and the Greatest Bengali of all Times Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman recently.