Personal experience of a participant

It is difficult to find joyous occasions in the capital city of Dhaka shrouded in vicious concrete and wooden expanse. Everyone has to stay busy with themselves here. Amidst this, there emerges an occasional glimmer, much like a shower of rain in a desolate desert parched by intense heat, bringing a sense of relief and prosperity. Such a joyous occasion was created on December 28, 2023.

On this day, the formal inauguration of Bangladesh's first real-time bilingual (Bangla and English) website, 'Views Bangladesh,' took place at the Padma Conference Room of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel. Prominent local economists, educators, and dignitaries gathered for this occasion.

At one point, the event transformed into a gathering of intellectuals. Due to the personal commitments of the main guest of the event, distinguished educator and former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, Professor Dr. A. A. M. S. Arefin Siddik, there was a slight delay in his arrival. However, the distinguished guests who attended the event filled the gap by engaging in discussions with each other, making the event enjoyable through mutual interactions."

Gradually, distinguished guests have taken their seats at the event, including Dr. Kazi Khalequzzaman Ahmed, Chairman of Dhaka School of Economics, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, Executive Director of the Policy Research Institute, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Mazid, former Chairman of the National Board of Revenue, and Dr. M. Jahangir Alam, along with other notable guests. Professor Dr. A. A. M. S. Arefin Siddik, the chief guest of the event, was already present at the venue. Following this, the formal inauguration ceremony of the event commenced.

Rashed Mehdi, Editor of Views Bangladesh adorned the chair of the inauguration ceremony. The welcome speech at the event was delivered by Giriish Gairik, the Assistant Editor of Views Bangladesh.

Among the speakers at the event were educators Abul Khasem Fazlul Haque, former Chairman of NBR Dr. Mohammad Abdul Majid, physician Dr. Mamun Al Mahtab Swapnil, Shyamal Dutt, the General Editor of the National Press Club, Omar Faruq, President of the Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union (BFUJ), Syed Ishtiaq Reza, the Chief Executive Officer of Global Television, Musfiq Anam, Chairman of Boishakhi Television, Mahbub Aziz, Deputy Editor of Daily Samakal, Journalist Mohsin Habib, Author Malay Chandan Mukhopadhyay, Cinematographer Nasir Ali Mamun, Poet Mohon Rayhan, and Chief Editor of Journalist Madhusudan Mandal."

"Among the distinguished individuals, entrepreneurs, and authors present at the event were Brigadier General (Ret.) Nasimul Gani, Managing Editor of Daily Amar Desh Mainul Alam, E-commerce entrepreneur Waresa Khanom Preeti, Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer of Banglalink, Taimur Rahman, President of ISPAB Imdadul Haque, Managing Director of Plexus Cloud Mobarak Hossen, Head of Cash at Public Communication Muhammad Jahidul Islam Sojal, Head of External Communication at Grameenphone Ankit Sureka, and Director of Fiber@Home, Abbas Faruq."

"I want 'Views Bangladesh' to fulfill the information needs of the general people in Bangladesh accurately. Additionally, I hope that various analyses and interpretations of news, which we usually do not find in newspapers, can be published on 'Views Bangladesh.' Therefore, readers will stay connected with information, they will also be able to learn about the analysis of that information and understand what actions they can take. I believe that 'Views Bangladesh' will create a new wave in information or media in Bangladesh, a need that we have been experiencing for a long time.

Distinguished educator, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, Professor Dr. A. A. M. S. Arefin Siddique, in his keynote speech at the event, stated that Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress in the economic sector in recent times. Various economic milestones have been successfully achieved, both domestically and internationally. Bangladesh has already attained a medium-income status, as acknowledged by the World Bank's rating. Additionally, Bangladesh has been placed in the top tier of developing countries in the United Nations' cooperating agency's ranking.

During the speeches at the event, other distinguished individuals extended their congratulations on the success of 'Views Bangladesh. They expressed that while there are numerous online media outlets in Bangladesh, 'Views Bangladesh' is the first real-time online newspaper. They conveyed their expectation for accurate and substantive news from 'Views Bangladesh. Mentioning the professional life of Rashid Mehedi, the editor of Views Bangladesh, they stated that they believe under his leadership, this newspaper will undoubtedly present accurate and objective news and would gain the trust of the readership in the society.

Author: Retired General Manager, Bangladesh Development Bank Limited, and Economic Affairs Writer.