A grand reunion of development activists and workers of the country including about handed foreign guests was organised by Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) at its Savar complex on February 18-20 in celebration of its 40th anniversary. The three-day event included 21 seminars, cultural shows, and exhibition of development in non-governmental sector through 26 stalls set up by NGOs. Forty eminent persons were honoured at a reception for their distinctive role in the War of Liberation. Keynote speaker at the inaugural session Nobel laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus said the Liberation War unlocked the trapped energy and potentials of the people. Wide ranging issues like development and challenges during last four decades, rights of women and the disadvantaged, health, education, natural resources and climate change were deliberated in the seminars where political leaders, economists, educationists, NGO and civil society leaders shared their thoughts, experiences and vision.

The Bangladesh Field Hospital set up by Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury during the War of Liberation took a permanent shape as Ganashasthaya Kendra with Bangladesh Hospital at Savar after independence. GK steadily expanded its programs to rural and urban health care, family planning, production of essential drugs including raw materials of life saving drugs, and herbal research.  GK’s activities also include disaster management, social forestry and training of rural women in unconventional trade. The organisation has also set up a university at Savar and a hospital in Dhaka.

Along with its on-going programs GK will work on non-communicable diseases during next forty years.