Breaking the Silence [BTS], a well-respected NGO in Bangladesh, is ready with its 2016 calendar themed “Moments of Childhood.” The calendar was unveiled on November 25 at the “New Perspective” event of Le Méridien Dhaka, by Jewel Aich, the internationally renowned magician. The event was attended by eminent personalities from the fields of business, art and community work. Ashwani Nayar, general manager of Le Méridien Dhaka explained, “The ‘New Perspective’ is a signature series of events by brand Le Méridien to allow creative like-minded people to gather new insights and stimulate dialogue through interactive experiences that explore an artist’s talent. When Rajesh informed me that he was working on this project, it seemed perfectly in tune with our format. Moreover, the issue raised gave us an opportunity to be part of a larger and significant objective, which is just the spirit of Le Méridien Dhaka.”
The calendar has been conceptualised and shot by Rajesh Ramakrishnan, who is a passionate photographer and the managing director of Perfetti Van Melle Bangladesh Pvt Ltd. It showcases the different moods and moments of children in Bangladesh – their joy, naughtiness, friendships and fun. “I have been shooting a calendar every year for the past few years to support a good cause. It is my way of giving back to the society. It was great fun shooting this calendar and I re-discovered many moments of my childhood while capturing these images,” says Rajesh Ramakrishnan.
Each calendar will be sold for Tk400 and the money raised through this will go to Breaking The Silence, which is a non-profit organisation established and run by a group of compassionate activists committed to combat Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in Bangladesh. It has been working since 1994 throughout the country to address CSA issues from community to government level. Child Sexual Abuse is a very delicate issue with less exposure in the context of Bangladesh. Children from every level of the society are threatened with the possibility of being sexually abused by different kinds of perpetrators, familiar or stranger, man or woman. Breaking the Silence has come up with a comprehensive and culturally appropriate programme for combating this critical foe. “We are hopeful that this calendar will help create further awareness and raise funds to address this issue,” says Roksana Sultana, executive director of Breaking the Silence.
Coca-Cola also supported this good cause by sponsoring the paper and printing of the calendar.