Mobile operators of Bangladesh yesterday donated more than Tk 1 crore to the earthquake-ravaged Japanese people.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni handed over a cheque for Tk 10,224,891 to Japanese Ambassador Tamotsu Shinotsuka at a function at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka.
Private mobile phone operator Robi initiated the programme — stand by a friend — supported by the foreign ministry and Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB).
The donated money was collected through charity concerts, Robi’s employees’ contribution through their one-day salary, donations by vendors and corporate entities, and through SMS campaigns by all operators.
“The amount of the donation is like a drop of water in a vast ocean but it carries the love of the Bangladeshi people for the Japanese,” said Robi Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Michael Kuehner.
Dipu Moni said the government of Bangladesh along with the general people has tried to extend humanitarian support to Japan after the earthquake and tsunami.
She said Japan has been a trusted friend of Bangladesh since independence and it has also been a leading development partner. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina donated $2 million to Japan earlier, she said.
Japan will ever remember the generous support of the Bangladeshi people, said Shinotsuka.
“We are now trying our best to overcome the situation,” said the envoy.
Telecommunications Secretary Sunil Kanti Bose said the relationship between the two countries would deepen further.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Zia Ahmed said Japan has always acted as an umbrella for the Bangladeshi people during the days of hardship.
AMTOB chairman’s representative and Chief Commercial Officer of Citycell David Lee also spoke at the programme, while a number of high officials of the mobile operators were present.
-With The Daily Star input
