DHAKA, Feb 14, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today spent quality time on the World Valentine Day with about two hundred distressed children who are deprived of love and affection of their families.

The minister and his wife presented flowers and gifts to the children and talked with them and heard their rhymes and songs.

Hasan and his wife Nuran Fathema visited Mastul Foundation School and Orphanage Shelter Home, a residential educational institution of deprived children, at Boroikhali in Beribadh in city's Rayerbazar area after seeing their activities on social platform. 

Awami League Relief and Social Welfare Affairs Secretary Aminul Islam Amin accompanied them.

Earlier, Fathema sent lunch for the children and later they visited the institution and handed over clothes, toys and other gifts. 

Mastul founder Kazi Riaz Rahman, advisor Kazi Mainur Rahman and other members welcomed the minister and his wife while they handed over flowers to the children.

In his speech, Hasan said the foundation has provided shelter and took initiative for education of the children who have no dream. It also creates opportunities for the elderly and distressed people who are deprived of love and affection of family and society as well, he added.

"For this, I came here with my family to pass sometime with the children on 1st Falgun and World Valentine Day. Though I came here as a person, I have political identity. My family taught me about compassion and I've also leant it from our leader Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Today we are in power. But when we were not in power, I saw whenever a bagger came in front of the leader's motorcade, the whole motorcade would have stopped. And she (Sheikh Hasina) helped the bagger," said Hasan.

The minister prayed for materializing the dream of the children.

Later, he inaugurated the school of Mastul, shelter home and orphanage and visited the establishments. He also exchanged views with the officials of the foundation.

Hasan also handed over two sewing machines among two widows and Taka 50,000 to a patient who was injured in a fatal road accident.

Later, children of the school and shelter home performed songs and rhymes.

In the visiting book, the minister wrote 'Many thanks to the Mastul Foundation for its wonderful philanthropic activities'.

Expressing gratitude to the minister, Riaz said they are working only for the deprived people of the society. "The visit and donation of Taka two lakh of the minister and his family inspired us," he added.

Mainur said the foundation is providing school bags, shoes, shocks, books and other educational materials to about hundreds students of 22 schools in 12 districts along with running the institution.