“Celebration for the right ending of what was rightly begun may be appropriate.”
Quaker Faith & Practice 13.13
The climax of the construction and renovation project came on Tuesday 23 February 2010 with a very successful and appropriate opening ceremony.
The ceremony was attended by:
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Advocate Sultana Kamal, Former Advisor, caretaker Govt. of Bangladesh
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Robert Gallagher, representing British Quakers
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Muhammad Rezaul Kabir, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (local government chief executive)
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Dr. Zafarulla Chowdhury, founder and coordinator of Ganasystha Kendra (a national Bangladesh health NGO) & Country Director - Plan Bangladesh
Numerous other friends of GUP, committee members, local representatives, school and college teachers, NGO representatives and community members also attended the ceremony.
Messages from Friends in the UK, Canada, India and Japan were played or read out at the beginning of the ceremony.
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| Guests at the opening ceremony in the Training Centre…in the front line from the left:
Edward T. (Ned) Espey – Country Director,Plan Bangladesh;
Samar Ghose – Member of GUP;
A R Khan – Treasurer GUP;
Advocate Supriya Chakraborty – Husband of Advocate Sultana Kamal (Chief guest of the opening ceremony);
Jogomaya Shaha Roy – Head Mistress, Rajoir Girl’s High School;
Moriyam Mozahide – Principal, Rajoir College; Md. Moshiur Rahman – Officer In Charge, Rajoir Police Station. |
….and on the dais from the left:
S. A. Wahab – Executive Director, GUP;
Robert Gallagher – for British Quakers;
Muhammad Rezaul Kabir – Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Rajoir (Special guest);
Advocate Sultana Kamal – Advisor, Former Caretaker Government of Bangladesh (Chief guest);
Prof. Dr. Muazzam Husain – President, GUP (Chairman of the opening ceremony);
Dr. Fakir Anjuman Ara – Vice President, GUP. |
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| Recording the proceedings for GUP (Dr. Zafarullah Chowdhury Founder of Gono Shastha Kendra is seen first from left of frontrow of the audience line among others) ... |
….and on the steps of the Peace Library:
Mr. Mizanur Rahman – Area Coordinator, Credit Program, GUP;
Sultana Rahman Dolly – Director of GUP and widow of the late Ataur Rahman;
Shirin Ahmed Chowdhury – Wife of Siraj Ahmed Chowdhury, Member of GUP; Dr. Pierre Alain Baud – Director, Arts Nomades, French (Guest Lecturer, Department of International Religion and Culture, Dhaka University). |
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The centrepiece of the project – the new Peace Library, dedicated to the memory of the late Ataur Rahman, founding director of GUP.
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Conclusions
The project has been completed with enormous skill and effort by GUP, living up to their name as “People's Development Efforts”.
The renovated Peace Centre and the new Ataur Rahman Memorial Peace Library will provide a local, national and regional centre for peace work in an attractive setting with congenial facilities. GUP and Craven & Keighley Quakers are delighted with the outcome and very grateful for the aid of QPSW and all who supported this project –
“to keep peace at the heart of regeneration in Bangladesh”
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