Int'l Day of Peace observed

Different organisations observed the day through holding various programmes including seminar, symposium and discussion on peace and democracy.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a message on the occasion called for rededicating all good efforts towards ensuring establishment of human rights at all spheres of social life.

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"Let us take this opportunity to pay tributes to the memory of all those who have given their valuable lives for the cause of peace and justice," she added.

The United Nations Association of Bangladesh (UNAB) organised a symposium at a city hotel yesterday with UNAB Vice President Prof. Muzaffar Ahmad in the chair. Prof Dr Akmal Hossain of the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, was the keynote speaker.

The 'Second Gan-Sohagi International Day of Peace Lecture' was held here at the Business Studies Faculty, Dhaka University under the auspices of the Gan-Sohagi Memorial Trust Fund.

Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue Prof Rehman Sobhan delivered a lecture on "Globalisation and the Challenge to Democracy" on the occasion. Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor S M A Faiz attended the function as the chief guest while the UNESCO Representative in Dhaka Wolfgang Vollmann was the special guest.

Pro Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Yusuf Haider presided over the function. Kazi Ali Reza, Officer in Charge of UNIC, read out the message of the UN Secretary General.

Prof Rehman Sobhan described globalisation as an inexorable process and said it would remain under perpetual challenge unless the pervasive concerns of the deprived, spread across the world, were recognised. He, however, called for initiation of structural changes to make them direct stakeholders in the benefit of globalisation.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in a message said the International Day of Peace has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly as "a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and peoples to honour a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the day."