The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh National Museum yesterday celebrated the International Museum Day highlighting the importance of museums in preserving the heritage and culture of a nation.

The theme of the International Museum Day this year was: "Museums as Agents of Social Change and Development".

Over 60 countries have been celebrating the International Museum

Day since 1977.

The event provides an opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and alert them to the challenges that museums face if they are to be an institution in the service of society and its development'.

Bangladesh National Museum chalked out various programmes on the occasion. These included rally, seminar, discussion, views exchange and exhibition.

Md Sharful Alam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, inaugurated a rally that started from t Shahbag and ended at the National Press Club. Mohammad Mosharaf Hossain Bhuiya, Secretary of Primary and Mass education, inaugurated a seminar and special exhibition in the morning at the Sufia Kamal Auditorium of the National Museum.

President of National Museum Board Dr Kazi Saleh Ahmed said museum played a vital role in inspiring the youths generation after generation for the spread of education. Its importance in building an educated society is also immense, he noted.

Samar Pal, Managing Director of the National Museum, presented the keynote paper on "Social Change and Museum for Development"

Museum could teach the new generation about heritage and culture of a nation, he said.