The Water Journalism Fellowship awards and certificates for 2014 offered by the Touching Souls International, USA, were distributed at a simple ceremony at the National Press Club on Thursday.
The Fellowship on Water Journalism is being offered by Touching Souls International, USA since 2009 and so far three batches of journalists of both print and electronic journalism have completed the fellowships.Under the fellowships journalists are selected on the basis of applications scrutinised by an expert committee of water professionals and journalists active in the field. The selected fellows being assigned have covered issues of water scarcity, flooding, salinity,
river pollution, arsenic contamination of ground water, illegal encroachment of riverbeds and cross-boundary river issues among others.
This year fellowship work has been disrupted by abnormal political developments that have taken place in the country since the end of 2012. Of the three fellow selected Anisur Rahman Khan, senior reporter of The Independent has successfully completed his work. Akter Hossan,
News Editor of Rtv has partially completed his fellowship. The fellowship include a certificate and a cash award of Taka 30,000/ up on successful completion of work.
The fellowship award ceremony was presided over by Touching Souls International president Sayed Tipu Sultan. Former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, former member of the
Indo-Bangla Joint Rivers Commision, Tauhidul Anwar Khan, former adviser to the UN on water and environment Dr. SI Khan, Journalist Rafiqul Islam Azad, Bangladeshi based in New York Kazi Nayan and
Captain of SwadhIn Bangla Football team Zakaria Pintu spoke at the function moderated by Mostafa Kamal Majunder, convener of the fellowship committee.
Speakers at the function underlined the need for more such fellowships to further increase the awareness of the people about the importance water plays to the life of the people of Bangladesh, the largest delta
created by Himalayan rivers. They thanked Touching Souls International for offering the fellowships.
At the beginning of the function the fellowship committee paid respects to two of its founder members Prof. Maniruzzaman Miah, former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University who is now seriously ill, and Engr. Quamrul Islam Siddique, former president of Bangladesh Water Partnership for their successful steering that enhanced the quality and the fame of the fellowships. Mostafa Kamal Majumder, convener and Tauhidul Anwar Khan, member of the fellowship committee were also honoured by awarding certificates in recognition of their services. – Staff reporter
