Palak's flash of brilliance

Hundreds of children at an event on Monday saw State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak in a lively mood starkly different from his official and political roles.

The young politician enchanted the audience at a gathering of child journalists at Cox’s Bazar.

The event was organised at Ocean Paradise Hotel to select journalists for ‘Hello’, the first Bengali news portal managed by children. Grameenphone sponsored the event.

The children were enthralled, getting to ask the junior minister different questions and getting prompt answers.

Instead of an usual speech, Palak launched into conversation with the children, engaging them immediately.

“I know you don’t want to listen to politicians. They don’t deliver on their commitments and they tell lies. You get annoyed hearing about politicians. You thing they talk rubbish. That’s why you don’t want to hear them,” he said to the children.

Across the hall, there was a general murmur of agreement.

Then the junior minister gestured his desire not to speak any more, prompting the children to request him earnestly to go on with his speech.

Palak then started questioning the children.

The state minister asked a child, ‘Ripon’, why he was going to take ‘such big responsibilities for the country’ at such a young age.

The child replied he wanted to make efforts to solve problems of the country by highlighting them.

As he finished, Palak said: “Had everyone thought like you, had all the ministers been like you, had chairmen and members been like this, we would have a digital Bangladesh.”

The children responded to his statement by giving a big hand.

Palak went on: “Your words will go far. The speech of Ripon is being telecast live. Who knows, maybe the prime minister is watching it. Some international charity or entrepreneur may also see it.

“Encouraging statements and quotes of any of you can bring a project to this country.”

The audience was informed that 10,000 people were watching the event live on the internet half an hour after it began.

The children gave a round of applause to show their appreciation.

The junior minister said: “I have to be careful in giving speech. Making pledge was once the final thing... Now time has changed. Everyone is accountable.”

He highlighted his efforts to fulfil the pledges he had made to the people of his constituency during election campaign.

Referring to Hello, Palak said: “This communication of modern information technology is a new sort of journalism. bdnews24.com is doing this.”

Hello.bdnews24.com was launched at the initiative of Bangladesh’s first internet newspaper bdnews24.com.

Encouraging the children, the state minister said: “Our children have not seen Language Movement and Liberation War. But they have the chance to build a modern IT-based Bangladesh.

“They’re choosing this profession (journalism) with courage to serve the world, humanity and not to serve themselves.”

“Do you know what ‘news’ means?” he quipped.

The children responded with a resounding ‘north, east, west and south’.

“It means you have to cover everything that happens around you. You have to know everything. It’s a big responsibility. Journalism is the mirror of society,” Palak said.

He expressed hope that hundreds of children would come to pursue journalism like the 173 in Cox’s Bazar.

Palak asked the children to work for and dream of a better Bangladesh.

Asking surfer Jafar Alam to come onstage, Palak said he was the icon of Cox’s Bazar.

“You have to be like him... His struggles will encourage you.”

Palak told the child journalists about John F Kennedy's historic speech, "Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You".

"Work for your country. You'll have to remember that the nation has given you education, provided books."

"Be successful. Whether you are home or abroad, take the lead."

"Remember Bangabandhu's words. To build a golden Bengal we will need golden people."

But besides this inspiring speech, the youngest minister in Bangladesh's history had another surprise up his sleeve.

As the prize winners took to the stage to collect their awards, Palak led them into the chorus of the patriotic song, "Maa go, bhabna kano...".

The audience sang along.