WEB DESK
A grand musical concert was held on Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York to mark the golden jubilee of the historic ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ held in 1971. The event was organized by the Department of Information and Communication Technology of Bangladesh to pay homage to the glorious history of the Bangladesh concert.
Bangladesh Minister for Liberation War Affairs AQM Mozammel Haque, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Information and Communication Technology Sajeeb Wazed Joy, State Minister for Information and Communication Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MPs Shamim Osman, Aparajita Haque, and Nurul Amin were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
The event began with the singing of the national anthem of Bangladesh. Renowned German band Scorpion and Bangladeshi band Chirkutt performed during the event which was attended by more than 20 thousand audiences, said an official press release from the government of Bangladesh.
In his welcome address, State Minister for Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that the money raised from the concert will be spent on cyber security for the children of underdeveloped countries in collaboration with the UNDP.
‘Concert for Bangladesh’ was organized on 1 August 1971 at the same venue with the initiative of Sitar Maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and his friend former Beatles Guitarist Gorge Harrison. The concert aimed to raise awareness about the sufferings of the people of Bangladesh which was at that time called ‘East Pakistan’. A galaxy of world-famous musicians like Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, and Leon Russel performed at the concert.
The ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ raised funds for the 10 million refugees who had taken shelter in India after fleeing the atrocities of the Pakistan army. It is recognized as a significant event that brought the attention of the world to the plight of Bangladeshis suffering repression of the Pakistan army.