Learning game 'Hasina and Friends' launched for children

On the occasion of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's birthday, the first Bangladeshi online learning platform for children and teenagers "Hasina & Friends" (www.hasinaandfriends.gov.bd) was inaugurated under the initiative of ICT Division.  

Hasina & Friends, a gift given to us by the prime minister on her birthday, was inaugurated in the presence of more than five hundred children and teenagers along with government officials and dignitaries through a grand ceremony held at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre. 

It is the first online learning platform made in Bangladesh for Bangladeshi children and teenagers, reads a press release. 

The platform includes a variety of educational stories and interactive games for children between the ages of 6-12 and teenagers between 13-16. The contents are categorized on the environment, health, education, and connectivity for all age groups.

The platform was built with the pure intention of ensuring that our future generation learns about the history, culture, and values of Bangladesh in this new digital era. 

With the slogan of "Learn and play every day", the youngsters will learn something new every day from the prime minister herself through interactive games and stories that mesmerise them. 

Addressing the event, Zunaid Ahmed Palak said, "This learning process needs to be enjoyable and fun, so that learning can be done while playing. One such platform for children and teenagers is 'Hasina and Friends'. Through this they will know how to take care of trees, how to save environment and climate. We have designed the game to make these things easy to understand. In this, children, teenagers can learn while playing and gain knowledge while singing."

He said that today's smart youths will build a smart Bangladesh, a vision presented by the prime minister.

"The world is now at our fingertips thanks to smartphones. Internet enables us to learn about the environment, health, and other topics. This learning process needs to be enjoyable and fun, so that learning can be done while playing," he added.

NM Ziaul Alam, senior secretary of ICT Division, explained the future plans of the platform.

The programme began with the national anthem followed by a theme song along with the animated video of Hasina & Friends. 

A tutorial video was also shown on how to easily use the platform. In addition, puppet shows, magic shows, and games like Plinko board were there to entertain the children. A cake-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina followed by distribution of gift bags and food among the children and guests present there. 

The event concluded with a message that encourages our future generation to accentuate the slogan "Learn and play every day" so that they truly learn everything in a playful manner.