The British Council's nationwide ‘Tell-Your-Tale’ campaign ran throughout October and November 2014 and concluded with an Award Ceremony at the British Council Library in Dhaka on Sunday, 14 December 2014.
This innovative campaign, run in partnership with leading newspaper ‘The Daily Star’, marked three important anniversaries of the British Council in Bangladesh: 80th anniversary of its founding in 1934, 60th anniversary of our libraries in Bangladesh and the 25th anniversary of IELTS.
‘Tell-Your-Tale’ was an invitation to the people of Bangladesh to send to us personal stories of their engagement with the British Council over the last six decades, of their memories of their association with our programmes and people, and of the British Council’s influence and impact in professional, cultural and social aspects of their lives.
The campaign received a warm and enthusiastic response. Entries came in waves from all over the country and from a diverse range of social backgrounds, professions and age-groups. The writers revealed a broad range of opportunities that arose due to their engagement with the British Council – individual stories with collective impact for the people of Bangladesh. The top stories were selected and displayed on boards at the Award Ceremony. Many influential and highly ranked people, who have been closely associated with the British Council for a long time, recorded their stories through video messages.
So, all this was brought together in the bright winter morning of 14 December in the British Council Library gardens – touching memories, the sharing of stories and a plentitude of warm wishes and encouragement for more and deeper engagement
The event was attended by Salehuddin Ahmed, Managing Editor of The Daily Star, Aly Zaker, cultural personality and veteran thespian, and all the participants of the ‘Tell-Your-Tale’ competition. The Chief Guest Professor A K Azad Chowdhury, State Minister of People’s Republic of Bangaladesh, announced the winners of the competition and presented them with their crests. The winning stories were published in The Daily Star ‘Shout’ magazine on 25 December, 2014.
Anniversaries come and go, but the warmth of the tales expressed by the Bangladesh people about the British Council will continue in our hearts for many years to come.
