The British Council yesterday lives protecting British Council on March 25, 1971, reports UNB. Chief Executive Sir Ciarán Devane, Regional Director, South Asia Mark Stephens and Director Bangladesh Barbara Wickham were, among others, present at the unveiling ceremony held on its main premises at Fuller Road.

Sir Devane highlighted the global cultural relations work of the British Council and the positive relationship it fosters between Bangladesh and the UK.

"The British Council plays an important role in the exchange of ideas, knowledge and discovery between Bangladesh and the UK. We've been working in Bangladesh for almost 70 years and continue to contribute to the ongoing growth of Bangladesh through the best of the UK in Education, Society and the Arts," he said. The unveiling of the memorial was aimed at highlighting the sacrifice

made by eight Bangladeshi security guards who died while protecting the British Council's premises during the Black Night of 1971, said the British Council.

The memorial also aspires to serve as a poignant reminder of the British Council's commitment as a cultural relations organisation through the different periods of a country's history, it said. Barbara Wickham said the British Council through the unveiling of this memorial, wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the eight brave guards who gave their lives to protect the British Council while on duty in March 1971.

The event also highlighted the purpose of Devane's visit to understand the broad portfolio of work focused on the youth population and its impact both in Bangladesh and the UK.

The central focus of Devane's programme was to see firsthand the progress of the British Council's priority areas in Bangladesh, which took him across Dhaka to meet with a variety of partners across Education, Society and the Arts.

The areas of priority for the British Council in Bangladesh focuses on engagement with young people across the country to foster leadership and 21st Century skills that will enable young active citizens to build stronger communities, and in addition to a particular focus on girls, by providing them with training in English language and ICT to build confidence and a springboard for the future, said the British Council.

There are also key programmes around arts for social change, using the arts as a medium to highlight difficult social issues and prompt meaningful discussion around them, it said. As part of his visit, Devane also visited a school to see a reading programme in action, in partnership with HSBC.