“We must not detach ourselves from the spirit of the July mass uprising. We must move forward with that spirit in mind. You have entered the university by proving your merit and capability. Do not let anyone lead you astray. Be honest, be guided by your conscience,” said Professor M Enamullah, vice-chancellor (VC) of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) in Dinajpur.
He added, “Along with academic learning and skill development, you must take part in social activities and sports. Spread positive messages all around. Let others be inspired by you. Prothom Alo Bondhushava is already doing such commendable work, and I hope it will continue to do so in the future as well.”
The VC said this while speaking as the chief guest at the opening ceremony of a workshop titled HONOR Presents 'Smart Skills: From learning to leading’, held this Saturday morning at the university auditorium. The event was organised by the National Executive Board of Prothom Alo Bondhushava, with the support of HONOR Bangladesh, to enhance the skills of Bondhushava members. More than 250 members from nine Bondhushava units in the Rangpur division took part in the workshop.
Among others, HSTU Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Shafiqul Islam Sikdar, Registrar Abu Hasan, Proctor Shamsuzzoha, Director of Student Affairs and Advisory Division SM Emdadul Hassan, Head of Marketing at HONOR Bangladesh Faruk Rahman, President of the National Executive Board of Bondhushava Zafar Sadiq, Executive President Mousumi Mou, and Prothom Alo Correspondent in Dinajpur Raziul Islam were present at the time.
The workshop began at 9:30 am with the national anthem, followed by a one-minute silence in memory of the martyrs of the July mass uprising and Bondhushava well-wisher Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam. Later, members of the Dinajpur Bondhushava presented a dance performance to the rhythm of the Bondhushava theme song. Then training sessions were held on various topics, including leadership and communication, presentation skills, debate for communication and presentation, campus to career, and AI for youth.
The day-long workshop was moderated by Hasan Mahmud, general secretary of the Dhaka Mohanagar unit of Bondhushava. The sessions were conducted by Head of Media Relations and Communication at Abul Khair Group Rafe Sadnan Adel, President of the National Executive Board of Bondhushava Zafar Sadiq, Executive President Mousumi Mou, General Secretary Forhad Hossain Mollik, and Head of Programmes at Bdjobs Limited Mohammad Ali Firoz.
In the second segment of the event, HONOR Bangladesh organised a special quiz led by the company’s Head of Marketing Faruk Rahman. Ten winning participants received HONOR X7 Lite Earbuds as prizes.
After distributing the prizes, Faruk Rahman said, “The present time is full of challenges. If we fail to prepare ourselves according to the needs of the era, we will fall behind. Prothom Alo Bondhushava is doing the important job of encouraging this preparation and helping young people develop their skills.”
One of the participants, Raihan Sharif from the Panchagarh unit of Bondhushava, said, “Technology is advancing rapidly, but we are still confined within textbooks. Through this event, we learnt how to prepare ourselves. This workshop has given us our first lessons about entering professional life. Moreover, our interaction and connection with friends from the nine Bondhushava units in Rangpur have become much stronger, and that was a great experience.”
At the closing ceremony, certificates were handed over to participants by HSTU Proctor Shamsuzzoha and Professor Arifuzzaman from the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, adviser of the HSTU Bondhushava.
President of the National Executive Board of Bondhushava Zafar Sadiq said, “Prothom Alo currently has 145 Bondhushava units across the country. We regularly engage in various social and cultural activities. As part of that effort, this time we’ve launched university-based workshops to enhance the skills of our members with the support of HONOR Bangladesh.”
“So far, we’ve organised similar programmes in three universities, and several more in a few other universities of the country will follow in phases. We believe Bondhushava members through such initiatives will not only grow as humane individuals but also as skilled and capable citizens contributing to the building of Bangladesh,” added Zafar Sadiq.