Monday, 19 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Honourable Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, in Dhaka. Gary Otte

Following the completion of his Golden Jubilee visit to India, Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Dhaka, the capital of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. He was received at the airport by the Honourable Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed.

Following renditions of the Nashid al-Imamah and the National Anthem of Bangladesh, Mawlana Hazar Imam inspected a guard of honour and was greeted by Government ministers and Jamati leaders.

The Jamat of Dhaka lined the streets to welcome Mawlana Hazar Imam as he departed the airport. The city was adorned with the Imam's standard and signs welcoming Hazar Imam to Bangladesh.

Mawlana Hazar Imam travelled directly from the airport to the National Martyr's Memorial at Savar where he laid a wreath. The memorial is dedicated to the memory of those who laid down their lives during the 1971 war of liberation. From Savar, Hazar Imam travelled to the office of Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, where the two leaders held discussions on the work of the Aga Khan Development Network in Bangladesh.

In the evening, the Chief Advisor unveiled a set of postage stamps commemorating the Golden Jubilee. Thereafter, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a state banquet hosted by the Chief Advisor.

In his speech, Mawlana Hazar Imam spoke of the long relationship of the Aga Khan Development Network with Bangladesh.

“It was on the occasion of my grandfather's Platinum Jubilee – marking seventy years of his Imamat – that he first invested in what became a thriving jute mill industry here,” he recalled. “The first of those companies continues to exist and is still called the ‘Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills.'”

• Also see coverage at the AKDN website, including remarks by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the state banquet.

Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam speaks at the Foundation-Stone Laying ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Gary Otte

This morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam presided over the Foundation-Stone Laying ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka. The Honourable Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Bangladesh's Education Adviser, was the chief guest at the ceremony.

Emphasising the importance of education in the Islamic tradition, Mawlana Hazar Imam said that “world and faith are inseparable in Islam. Faith and learning are also profoundly interconnected.”

• Also see coverage of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka at the AKDN website, including the press release, video, photos and speeches by Mawlana Hazar Imam and Salim Bhatia, Director of the Aga Khan Academies Programme.
• Of interest: Academy in Mombasa on the fast-track to realising its vision.

In the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with Bangladesh's Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Adviser for Finance, the Honourable Adviser for Religious Affairs and the Honourable Adviser for Education.

Later in the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam hosted an Imamat Banquet in honour of the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, which was preceded by a reception for the Bangladesh diplomatic corps.

Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam is joined by Bangladesh's Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed, in unveiling the plaque marking the foundation of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre Dhaka. Gary Otte

Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Honourable President of Bangladesh, Iajuddin Ahmed at the Bangabhaban Palace.

In the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam presided over the Foundation-Stone laying ceremony for the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre Dhaka, in the presence of Bangladesh's Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury who was the chief guest.

Describing it as a “a place for search and enlightenment,” Mawlana Hazar Imam hoped that the new Jamatkhana would provide a space in which “men and women in this pluralist country can help strengthen those common bonds which reflect our common challenges and which will shape our common destiny.”

“The Jamatkhana and the Academy,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam, “will serve complementary roles as they work to dispel ignorance, cultivate a cosmopolitan outlook and nourish the cause of peace and harmony.” Hazar Imam described their dedication to spiritual and educational pursuits, noting that these are “commitments which grow fundamentally out of Islamic traditions, and which will be instrumental in the future development of this country.”

• Also see the video and the text of Mawlana Hazar Imam's speech at the foundation ceremony of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre Dhaka.

In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Jamati institutions of Bangladesh. During the dinner, youth from the Jamat performed a cultural dance and the leadership presented a gift to Mawlana Hazar Imam.

Thursday, 22 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam bids farewell to the Jamat as he prepares to leave Bangladesh. Gary Otte

This morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam graciously granted a Golden Jubilee Darbar to the Jamat of Bangladesh and to the thousands of members of the Jamat who had come from abroad.

Later in the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam left Dhaka. Bangladesh's Honourable Adviser for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury bid him farewell on behalf of the Government. Leaders of the Jamat were also present, as Mawlana Hazar Imam's Golden Jubilee visit to Bangladesh concluded.

Additional photographs are available in the photo gallery and on the AKDN website. Also see the video and the text of Mawlana Hazar Imam's speech at the foundation ceremony of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre Dhaka.