In a befitting tribute to its chief patron – late Sabih Bukhari – Bazme Sadaf International (BSI) Doha chapter recently announced the launch of online Urdu classes primarily for English medium students.
The classes will be led by a Manchester-based teacher Maimoona Amin, who has vast experience teaching Urdu in UK’s state and private institutions. The online registration has already started and classes are expected to start this month.
BSI chairman Shahabuddin Ahmad announced the start of Urdu classes in his inaugural speech during an online poetry symposium organised by the Doha team. The programme was presided over by Professor Safdar Imam Quadri, renowned Urdu critic, columnist and director of BSI. Sophia Bukhari, wife of late Sabih Bukhari and BSI patron, was the chief guest. Ahmad Ashfaque, director of BSI; Shad Akolvi, well-known poet of Doha, and Dr Minu Parashar Mansi, poetess who writes in Hindi, graced the occasion as guests of honour.
BSI president Dr Nadeem Jilani Danish, outlined his team's priorities for the year, emphasising the need of producing more age-appropriate Urdu stories and poems that would attract children to Urdu language and literature. Sophia Bukhari paid an emotional tribute to her late husband and pledged to continue supporting the cause of Urdu that was so dear to Bukhari.
Professor Safdar Imam Quadri, in his address, lauded the BSI Doha for its initiatives of launching the Urdu class and putting the focus on creating literature for young children. Paying tribute to Sabih Bukhari, he called him a true lover of Urdu, who as chief patron, always supported the initiatives of BSI for the promotion of Urdu.
The programme started with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Saifur Rahman. The event was conducted by Dr Nadeem Jilani Danish and the vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Wasiul Haque Wasi, BSI Doha general secretary. As per the BSI tradition, three new books were also released on the occasion. The books are Mere Waledain, Bangladesh ko mai ne dekhaa, and Jaane pehchane log, all authored by Professor Quadri and published by Maktab e Sadaf.
The poets, who attended and recited poetry, included; Professor Safdar Imam Quadri, Dr Meenu Prashar Mansi, Shad Akolvi, Ahmad Ashfaq, Dr Nadeem Jilani Danish, Muzaffar Nayab, Raquim Azmi, Tahir Jameel, Farida Nisar Ansari, Syed Mushfiq Raza Naqvi, Ashfaq Deshmukh, Athar Azmi, Maqsood Anwar Maqsood, Mansoor Azmi, Dr Wasiul Haq and Waquar Nadwi. The smooth running of the programme, which was watched by thousands across the globe via Facebook live, was ensured by a dedicated team of BSI members overseen by Programme Co-ordinator Mohamed Irfan Ullah and Joint Programme
Co-ordinator Om Prakash Pardida.
 
 
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