Government’s support for treatment of children with cleft lip and palate continues: ICT minister
Photo: Collected
The government is providing all-out support to ensure the normal development in society of children born with cleft lip and palate through proper treatment and rehabilitation, said Fakir Mahbub Anam, minister for posts, telecommunications, information technology, and science and technology.
He said it is our social and national responsibility to bring smiles to the faces of these children by taking appropriate treatment facilities to the grassroots level.
He said this in his speech as the chief guest at a programme celebrating ‘World Smile Day 2026’, organised by the ‘New Life Hospital Cleft Project’ and the ‘Child Health Awareness Foundation’ with the support of international charity ‘Smile Train America’ at the Shilpakala Academy in the capital on Friday. On the occasion of the day, a get-together and discussion meeting were organised with children who have recovered through successful surgery.
The ICT minister said, ‘A smile is a universal language. In particular, the smile on a child’s face delights the family and the whole of society. A healthy and cheerful child will build the prosperous nation of tomorrow. So it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure the health, safety and beautiful future of children.’
He further said technology and innovation can play a big role in making children’s healthcare easier, more affordable and faster. Through telemedicine and digital platforms, children in the remote areas of the country are now also getting the advice of specialist doctors, and the government is working to take this benefit of technology to every child.
Praising the contribution of doctors, the minister said this humanitarian initiative of bringing smiles back to faces through the treatment of children with cleft lip and palate is highly commendable. The service being provided by the doctors and health workers concerned, including Dr Bijoy Das, is not just medical care – it is a noble initiative to bring new joy back to children and their families.
Calling on people of all classes and professions, including the country’s affluent individuals and private organisations, to come forward in such social and humanitarian work, Fakir Mahbub Anam said, ‘The time, labour, talent and money we invest for children will be the real investment in the country’s future. Come, let us all together ensure a healthy and beautiful future for every child.’
Dr Sakhawat Hasan Jibon, member of parliament for the Habiganj-1 constituency, and ABM Mobasher Hossain, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services and programme director of Smile Train (Bangladesh and Nepal), spoke at the programme as special guests. The speakers laid emphasis on creating awareness to build a society free of birth defects and on further expanding free surgery activities.
With Prof Dr Bijoy Krishna Das, general secretary and executive head of the Child Health Awareness Foundation, in the chair, the meeting was also addressed by the organisation’s president Prof Dr Shamim Ara Khan Chowdhury, World Smile Day 2026 celebration committee member secretary Dr Aslamul Islam Rudra, and New Life Hospital (Pvt) Ltd managing director and CEO Md Asaduzzaman.
At the programme, goodwill gifts were handed over to the children who recovered through successful surgery and their guardians.
