A leading internet service provider (ISP) and online portal service company in the country, bracNet, organized a celebrity memorabilia sale gala event on March 31 in the capital.

The proceeds from the sale were donated to three charitable organisations - Liberation War Museum, Centre for Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) and Acid Survivors' Foundation. A total of Tk 6 lakh was raised from the sale of celebrity memorabilia and the charities received Tk 2 lakh each.

More than 50 celebrities donated over 200 items for the event. The event was launched on February 27. The organisers of the sale are bracNet along with celebrities including Suborna Mustafa, Bipasha Hayat, Afsana Mimi, Jewel Aich, Habib, Sharmin Lucky, Shakila Zafar, Mehrin, Humayun Faridi, Tania, Tutul, Bipasha Hayat and Bappa Majumdar.

The items include jewellery, costumes, musical instruments, mugs, glasses, saris, dupattas, CDs, DVDs, shawls, awards, books, posters, pictures, pens, bags and cards.

In the programme, items

from 15 celebrities including Jewel Aitch's flute with his autograph, Shamsur Rahman's diary on which he wrote poems in 1971, well known singer Fahmida Nabi's and Samina Chowdhury's first harmonium, which was given to them by their father Mahmudun Nabi, actress Bipasha Hayat's paintings, Ayub Bachchu's guiter were on auction. These items were sold for Tk 3,33,300. Transcom,

Tushar, Architect NR Khan and bracNet web portal provided the remaining balance to raise the total of the fund to Tk 6 Lakh.

A cultural programme was also held at the gala event. The physically challenged from CRP staged a play on traditional superstitious quacks.

"The concept of the celebrity memorabilia sale is quite popular in other countries. This kind of an initiative is very new in our

country and this is the first time such event has been organised in Bangladesh," said Khalid Kabir, Chief executive officer (CEO) of bracNet.

The participants of the auction responded with enthusiasm. Twelve individuals won the biddings in the auction.

"After seeing the physically challenged of CRP, I decided to do something for them by buying the items at the auction," said Tanvie Imam from Impex Bangladesh who bought Shompa Reza's record, sari and jewellery forTk 19,500.

In the auction item Ayub Bachchu's guiter fetched the highest price of Tk 110,000. Kafil H.S Muyeed bought the guiter on behalf of Grameen Phone. The second highest price of the auction was eminent poet Shamsur Rahman's diary and photo, which fetched Tk 30, 000 and Ahmadul Huq, a collector from Dhaka bought the items.

Transcom Foods (KFC and Pizza Hut) donated the same amount of money as bracNet received from memorabilia sale online.

The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, Channel i, Radio Today, Ice Today, Canvas and Dhanshiri were media partners of the initiative.