The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has celebrated the 62nd Anniversary of the ascension of Aga Khan to the Ismaili Imamat.
The occasion also marked the 5th anniversary of the establishment of AKDN’s diplomatic representation office in Bangladesh.
The formal event in Dhaka took place on Wednesday (Jul 31) and it was attended by senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of civil society and business, and members of the Ismaili community.
Representing the government, Kamrul Ahsan, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the august gathering, says a media release.
AKDN’s Resident Diplomatic Representative to Bangladesh Munir M Merali thanked the government on the support accorded to the Network through the realization of the Protocol Agreement signed in 2013.
In the programme, he highlighted a number of key global initiatives for this year.
He said Aga Khan Music Awards was held in March this year in Lisbon and the final concert brought together ten laureates from different countries in a showcase for diversity and pluralism through music.
The Global Centre for Pluralism – founded by Aga Khan in partnership with Canada – announced 10 finalists for the 2019 Global Pluralism Awards including Rupantar – a social organization based in Khulna, Bangladesh, he said.
Merali also informed that in April 2019, the Aga Khan Awards for Architecture announced the twenty projects shortlisted for the 14th Award cycle.
Marina Tabassum – winner of the Award in 2016 and member of the Award’s Steering Committee – presented the projects that include two from Bangladesh.
These are Arcadia Education Project in South Kanarchorand and Amber Denim Loom shed in Gazipur.
The selection of this Cycle’s eventual laureates will be honored at the ceremony in September 2019, in Kazan in Russia.
He also updated on the ongoing construction of the Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka with the first phase of buildings expected to be completed by June 2020.
The award-winning Academy represents a significant investment in education by AKDN for the benefit of all the people of Bangladesh.
AKDN has been operating for over six decades in Bangladesh across a broad spectrum of activities and programmes.
Building upon various bilateral agreements, the AKDN in Bangladesh is actively engaged with the government and a variety of development partners to help bring social and economic progress.
AKDN agencies are now present in over 30 countries across South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.
Their combined mandate is to create enabling environments that allow individuals and societies to achieve a standard of self-reliance while bettering the overall quality of life.