A bright example of Indo-Bangla friendly relations

Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan attended as the chief guest the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a world-class memorial auditorium and seminar hall at Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission at Barrackpur in Paschimbanga on Thursday. “We are honoured to have two great personalities to accomplish a noble task. This will play a significant role in improving relations between the two countries,” said Swami Satyananda, secretary of Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission near Kolkata in Paschimbanga. Swami Satyananda referred to India’s central Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Group (BG) Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan. The country’s top entrepreneur attended as the chief guest the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a world-class memorial auditorium and seminar hall at Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission in Barrackpur of Chabbish Pargona district of the Indian state of Paschimbanga last Thursday. “His presence will remain a bright example in further improving the friendly relations between Bangladesh and India,” Swami Satyananda said of Ahmed Akbar Sobhan’s enthusiasm in extending his cooperative hand to the mission. “Thousands of people who will come to this seminar hall even 100 years later will see the two names glittering in the foundation stone,” he added. The function was organised also to mark the 150th anniversary of birth of Swami Vivekananda. Among others, Executive Editor of daily sun SNM Abdi and lawmaker from Dhaka-10 AKM Rahmatullah were present. The BG chairman expressed his satisfaction at the design of the seminar hall, which will accommodate 400 people in all on its two floors. To be constructed on 11.3 acres of land inside the compound of the mission adjacent to BT Road, the seminar hall will be named Vivekananda Auditorium and Seminar Hall. Its cost has been estimated at Tk 30 million and construction is expected to be completed by the next one year and a half, the mission secretary said. The BG chairman told the function that Bashundhara Group would provide support, including land, for setting up an educational institution after the name of Swami Vivekananda in Bangladesh. Swami Satyananda expressed his gratitude to Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and said they were interested in establishing such an institution in neighbouring Bangladesh. “We will soon send a letter to Bashundhara Group seeking 100 bighas (33.3 acres) of land for the construction,” he told the function.