The Inaugural Ceremony of the Beginner’s level Bengali language course for the Turkish people took place on Zoom on March 17, 2023, Monday. The event featured the eloquence of folk musician Farida Parvin and was attended by many notable figures from both Turkey and Bangladesh.
The President of the Board of Trustees at Istanbul Gedik University, Hulya Gedik, graced the event as the special guest and delivered the inaugural speech. Expressing her enthusiasm for the Bengali language course, she underscored her longstanding commitment to promoting Bangladesh in Turkey. As the former president of the Turkey Bangladesh İş Konseyi, Hulya Gedik congratulated the newly elected DEİK Turkey-Bangladesh İş Konseyi President, Onur Özden, for attending the event and hoped that he would elevate the relationship between the two countries to new heights.
Highlighting the importance of the Bengali language and its rich cultural heritage, Hulya Gedik lauded the initiative to launch the first-ever Bengali language course in Turkey.
The guest of honor, Farida Parvin, spoke eloquently about the legacy of Sufism in Bengal, and how mystic poets such as Lalon Shah have expressed their love for humanity through their works. She sang two pieces by Lalon Shah and praised the beauty of language.
Congratulating the Bangladesh Study and Research Center and the Take Me Home initiative for their efforts in launching the first-ever Bengali language course in Turkey, Farida Parvin emphasized how the legacy of Sufism from Rumi to Lalon connects Bangladesh and Turkey, symbolizing the friendship and brotherly relationship between the two nations.
In addition to Hulya Gedik and Farida Parvin, the trainees at the Bengali course shared their experiences during the event. Burak Öğut, a polyglot, recited a Bengali poem by Rabindranath Tagore, which amazed everyone. Art historian Asuman Korkmaz and university student Elif Aksöz expressed their views and opinions about the Bengali language, while poet Meriç Öz recited a poem by Tagore in Turkish and paid tribute to Kazi Nazrul Islam for writing a poem about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk titled "Kemal Pasha". Meriç also recited a little part of that poem.
Bangladeshi renowned singer and Nazrul Geeti instructor at Chayanat, Zannat-e-Ferdousi Lucky, performed a Turkish song during the event. Young classical musician Mashaekh Hassan also performed a piece by Bangladesh's national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, which awed everyone.
Eminent Turkish journalist Ahmet Coşkunaydin spoke about his love for Bangladesh and the Bengali language. He expressed his desire to learn the language to be able to deliver speeches in Bengali. He thanked Gedik University for taking over the initiative and thanked Take Me Home for making it happen.
In the opening speech, the Director of the Bangladesh Study and Research Center, Kamrun Nahar, thanked the participants and marked the date as a historic and important one, as the first-ever Bengali language course for the Turkish people was being launched. She expressed her optimism that the course would provide the Turkish people with the opportunity to learn more about the history, culture, and traditions of Bangladesh. Kamrun Nahar also expressed her gratitude to Take Me Home for making the collaboration with her center possible.
The Director of "Take Me Home," Shakil Reja Efti, has highlighted the significance of preserving and sharing the linguistic diversity present in the world. He pointed out the alarming rate at which languages, cultures, traditions, and anthropological identities are disappearing each year. In response, Take Me Home has taken the initiative to archive them.
Given the historical importance of the Bengali language, Take Me Home has launched a Bengali language course for Turkish individuals in partnership with Istanbul Gedik University. Shakil expressed his gratitude towards Hulya Gedik, the Chairman of Gedik Holdings, for her leadership and efforts in strengthening the relationship between Turkey and Bangladesh.
In his concluding remarks and vote of thanks, Professor Dr. Ahmet Kesik, the esteemed Rector of Istanbul Gedik University, expressed his deep gratitude to all who participated in the event. He further elaborated on his keen interest in increasing the number of Bangladeshi students at the university and highlighted the Bengali language course as a crucial milestone in strengthening the bilateral relationship between Turkey and Bangladesh. The Rector also extended his heartfelt appreciation to the Take Me Home initiative for facilitating the collaboration with the Bangladesh Study and Research Center.
Press Release
"Take Me Home" and "Bangladesh Study and Research Center, Istanbul Gedik University"
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