The academy chalked out the programmes with the assistance of Unicef. District Commissioner of Sylhet, Md. Harun-ur-Rashid, was the chief guest. "Children are the architect of our future; they will lead the nation with the knowledge they are provided with now. They should be nurtured in a congenial atmosphere so that they can grow up to be assets to the nation," Rashid said.

The chief guest also stressed on the importance of education programmes like "Meena", aimed to generate awareness among the children. The character Meena is conscious of the rights to education, healthcare, issues related to early marriage, discrimination between a male and female child and other social foibles and superstitions. The character can play a decisive role in bringing about changes in the society, he said.

Mahbubuzzaman Chowdhury, district organiser of Shishu Academy, presided over the function. Renowned cultural personality Hemchandra Bhattacharya attended the programme as the special guest.

Hemchandra Bhattacharya said that all children are equal, irrespective of religion, colour, caste and gender. "Meena" identifies the dark sides of society and also suggests solutions.

Mahbubuzzaman Chowdhury said that "Meena" is very popular among the children. She is intelligent, liberal, well-informed and aware of human rights. She points out the discriminations young girls often face and educated people on social shortcomings.

The chief guest also handed out prizes and certificates among the winners of an art competition. A street theatre titled "Jibon O Srom" (Life and Labour) was staged by the children of 'Protection of Children at Risk'. The programme ended with the screening of an episode of "Meena".

The writer is a Lecturer at Department of English, Metropolitan University, Sylhet