ABDUL JABBAR ASTRONOMY WORKSHOP STARTS IN DHAKA

Manzila Super Market, 3/F, Sec-7, Road-3, Plot-6, Mirpur, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh.
Tel: 8014310, 8021016 Fax: 9016374,
E-mail:info@astronomy2009-bd.org, Website:www.astronomy2009-bd.org

On April 26, 2009 a workshop on astronomy started at the Jamil Sarwar Trust Auditorium in Dhaka. It was arranged by the “Celebration Committee of International Year of Astronomy 2009, Bangladesh.” The Celebration Committee of IYA2009, Bangladesh has taken this initiative to introduce real astronomy and space science to young learners and provide them with an opportunity to practice it in this arena. Commemorating the extraordinary role played by eminent astronomer Abdul Jabbar in the field of astronomy in Bangladesh, the workshop is named the “Abdul Jabbar Astronomy Workshop.” The plan is to hold it in three sessions; the first one has already been running for two weeks since it started on April 26 and will be held up to May 17. Lectures are being held on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week and begin at 5 p.m. in the Jamil Sarwar Trust office at Katabon.

The subject of the first class of this workshop was “Astronomy in Bangladesh: From the perspective of IYA 2009.” This class was held by F. R. Sarker, National Node for IYA2009, Bangladesh and the General Secretary of Bangladesh Astronomical Society. At the start of his class, a movie trailer of IYA2009 by UNESCO was played, and after that he gave a PowerPoint presentation on “Activities of IYA 2009 Celebration in Bangladesh.” This was followed by a documentary film on “Astronomy Awareness in Bangladesh,” and finally a movie on the history of astronomy and the universe was shown. In his lecture he described the historic moments and events that have occurred in astronomy awareness activities in Bangladesh. Only registered participants were allowed to attend this workshop and in the first class there were 43 students including some older persons and teachers. The General Secretary of IYA2009 Celebration Committee-Bangladesh and Bangladesh Math Olympiad, Munir Hasan, and the coordinator of this Workshop and Assistant Professor of the Electrical and Electronics Department, BUET, Dr. Farseem Mohammedy were also present in this workshop.

Other lectures are scheduled as follows: All about the Stars by Dr. Mofizuddin Ahmed; The Solar System and the Exoplanets by F. R. Sarkar; Cosmology by Prof. Ali Asgar; Particles and The Cosmos by Dr. Arshad Momen; Life in the Universe by Dr. Rezaur Rahman; Fate of the Universe by Dr. Farseem M. Mohammedy; and String Theory and Beyond by Dr. Mahbub Majumder. In the last class of the workshop, there will be a ceremony in which certificates will be handed out and Dr. A. R. Khan will deliver the concluding speech. Each lecture will be followed alternately by a space movie, interactive quizzes/group study and sky observation sessions. The registered participants can collect books and CDs on astronomy at the class and each will receive an attendance certificate.

(Mamun Ahamed Sharif)
Coordinator