All-rounder Sakib al Hasan is glad to have been selected as one of the UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassadors to support and advocate for the children of Bangladesh.
Sakib was presented as a UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador, along with magician Jewel Aich and film actress Moushumi, at a press conference at a city hotel on Tuesday.
‘While I was in England I received an email from UNICEF. I was very excited and immediately informed them that I gladly accepted their proposal,’ Sakib said.
‘I have done a lot of commercial agreements, but this deal is something special as far as I am concerned,’ added the former national captain.
‘Even I could be one of them [street children], so we must always strive to do something for them.’
‘When I was going through Karwan Bazar one night I saw some children sleeping in a basket. Seeing them, I felt very bad and I have big plans for them,’ he said.
Sakib, who had earlier worked on an HIV Aids awareness campaign for UNICEF Bangladesh, said that this project was extremely important to both him and his wife.
‘Both my wife and I are very interested in working in this area. If she was around you would see that both of us are working together in this regard and she is more interested than me,’ said Sakib.
‘Yes I have plans to open a charity foundation, but as I said it will take some time,’ he said of his plans to open a charitable foundation in his name.
‘Time can definitely be made. Despite this hectic schedule, it is not a fact that I work 365 days in year,’ he added.
As UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassadors, Sakib, Jewel Aich and Moushumi will work with UNICEF to promote child rights, create mass awareness and promote positive social norms in critical areas such as child labour, girl marriage, birth registration, violence against children, maternal and child health, children and HIV/AIDS and social protection of children living in urban slums.
Sakib, who is nursing an injured thumb, also relieved national team management by saying that he hopes to make a comeback for the New Zealand series.
‘Inshallah, I can play the New Zealand series, but I don’t know whether I can participate in the [Dhaka] Premier League,’ said Sakib.
‘After 10-12 days the doctor will see the latest status of my injury and only then any talk of my participation in cricket arises,’ he added.
-With New Age input
