Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to inaugurate the dream Padma Bridge today Saturday (June 25). All preparations for the inauguration have already been completed. The Padma Bridge can be seen on the web mapping platform Google Maps even before the inauguration. A search on Google maps reveals the location of the bridge. Satellite view is also available.

A search of the destination on Google Maps shows that it will take about an hour and a half to drive from Dhaka to the Mawa end of the Padma Bridge.

Padma Bridge is being considered as a sign of change in the destiny of the people of 21 districts of the south. All preparations have already been completed to open the 6.15 km long Padma Bridge for vehicular traffic. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Padma Bridge today Saturday (June 25) morning by unveiling the inaugural plaque at Mawa Point.

A national level competition on recitation of holy Quran is going to be held for the first time in collaboration with the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque to recognise the talents.

Any Hafiz, aged below to 15, will be eligible to participate in the competition that will be kicked off soon, organisers told a press briefing at Islamic Foundation conference room of the national mosque in the capital.

The country has been divided into 11 regions for holding the competition in a smooth way, they said.

Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Musalli Committee will organise the mega Islamic reality show styled ‘Quraner Noor’ with technical support of Bashundhara Group.

The leading industrial conglomerate in the country patronised the nationwide programme for recognizing the unsung talents of the holy text from Allah Subhanau Wa Ta’ala.

Musalli Committee chief advisor and Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir was present at the press conference.

The organisers also said that they would soon request the interested participants to register their names online.

The recorded programme will be aired on News24 from the first day of Ramadan, they added.

However, any winner of such international competition would not be able to take part in Quraner Noor programme. 

The competition will be telecasted at News24 television while featured videos on the participants will stream through YouTube.

Noted Islamic scholar Shaykh Qari Ahmad Bin Yusuf Al Azhari, Baitul Mukarram Khatib Mufti Ruhul Amin, Pesh Imam Mufti Maulana Muhammad Muhibullahil Baki, Maulana Mizanur Rahman, Mufti Ehsanul Haque Jilani, Maulana Mohiuddin Kashemi were present at guests of honour on the occasion.

Musalli Committee president Eakub Ali and senior vice president Gulzar Ahmed spoke on the occasion while general secretary Mizanur Rahman Manik moderated press conference.

Musalli Committee president Eakub Ali said the competition will be organised across eleven regions of the country to bring the talents to national level.

“Top 45 contestants will participate in the second round of the competition. A distinguished panel including noted Islamic scholars will short out the top finalists from the round. The champion of the competition will be awarded Tk 1 million,” he said.

Pesh Imam Mufti Maulana Muhammad Muhibullahil Baki appreciated the role of Bashundhara Group for its decision to use the name of the group after the title to show respect to the holy book.

“I would like to mention another specialty of the media outlets under the conglomerate. News24 telecasts Islamic programme without any break. It helps the scholar to share religious knowledge without interruption of commercials. Other channels can follow News24 television while running Islamic programmes,” he said.

 Musalli Committee senior vice president Gulzar Ahmed expressed gratitude to Bashundhara Group managing director for extending supports for devotees at national mosque.

“Some 86 devotees have performed umrah as our chief advisor pledged to support 104 underprivileged to support rituals in holy land. We hope to complete the phase within next week. Sayem Sobhan Anvir pledged support for another 500 devotees to perform umrah and traditional hajj. Let’s pray for his prosperity,” he said.

Ahmed informed the meeting that Musalli Committee will arrange iftar for 60 thousand devotees at national mosque during the Ramadan this year with support from chief advisor Sayem Sobhan Anvir.

Daily Sun, Kaler Kantho, Bangladesh Pratidin, Banglanews24 and Radio Capital are the media partners of the nationwide competition.

Bashundhara Group stands by 10,000 cold-hit people in Faridpur

Bashundhara Group, the country’s largest business conglomerate, distributed blankets among 10,000 cold-hit people of Sadar, Nagarkanda, Saltha and Sadarpur upazilas of Faridpur.

The blankets were distributed with the all out support from Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir.

Bashundhara Group's executive director and Faridpur district Awami League’s industries and commerce affairs secretary Advocate Jamal Hossain Miah distributed the blankets at Talma Union Parishad chairman’s residence on Friday morning.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamal Hossain Miah said, “Bashundhara Group always stands by the people of the country. With the help of Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir, blankets are being distributed among the cold-hit people across the country, including Faridpur. Bashundhara Group will continue effort to serve people in the future.”

After getting blankets, the poor people expressed their gratitude to Bashundhara Group for giving them worm cloth during this bone-chilling cold.

Bashundhara Group general manager Md Yunus Khan, Chief Operating Officer (Banking Sector) Md Razib Samad, Faridpur Press Club general secretary and Bangladesh Pratidin correspondent Kamruzzaman Sohel and Talma Union Parishad Chairman Kamal Hossain Mia were present among others in the event.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader pays a courtesy visit to Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Chairman of country’s leading industrial conglomerate Bashundhara Group.

Obaidul Quader was greeted with flowers by the Bashundhara family during the meeting at the Bashundhara Group chairman's residence in the capital on Monday.

Bashundhara Group Managing Director, Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Limited Chairman and Bangladesh Jeweller’s Association President Sayem Sobhan Anvir, Rongdhanu Group Chairman Alhaz M Rafiqul Islam, Awami League Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam and Badda thana Awami League General Secretary AM Jahangir Alam were also present during the meeting.

Leaders of Narayanganj district and Rupganj upazila units of Awami League held a view-exchange meeting with Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan on the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Rupganj.

MP from Narayanganj-4 constituency AKM Shamim Osman, Rongdhanu Group Chairman Alhaz Rafiqul Islam, Rupganj upazila AL General Secretary Alhaz Shahjahan Bhuiyan, Vice-President Barrister Khan Mohammad Shamim Aziz, Bashundhara Group Director Liakat Hossain, Kanchan municipality Mayor Alhaz Rafiqul Islam Rafiq, former upazila AL Vice-President Khandaker Abul Bashar Tuku, Daudpur Union Parishad Chairman Alhaz Nurul Islam Jahangir, Rupganj Union Parishad Chairman Alhaz Saladuddin Bhuiyan, upazila AL Information and Research Secretary Kamal Hossain Kamal, Health and Population Secretary Dr Faisal Ahmed and Kanchan municipality AL leader Tariqul Islam Mughal were present at the meeting held at the Bashundhara Group Chairman’s residence in Bashundhara Residential Area in the capital on Monday.