Bangladesh Consulate General in New York Celebrates 45th Anniversary of the Great Victory Day

UsaNewsOnline.Com :The 45thanniversary of the Great Victory Day of Bangladesh was celebrated at the Consulate General of Bangladesh in New York in a befitting manner. The programme included, among others, hoisting of the national flag with National Anthem at the Chancery at 9:30 am on 16 December by Mr. Md. Shameem Ahsan,ndc, Consul General of Bangladesh in New York reading out of the messages of the Hon’ble President, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Foreign Minister and Hon’ble State Minister for Foreign Affairs on the occasion, observance of one minute silence and offering special prayer for the salvation of the departed souls of the martyrs, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his family members and continued progress and prosperity of the country.The second part of the celebration included discussion-cum-cultural function held at the Auditorium of the Consulate General on 18 December, 2016. A video documentary on the glorious life of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the War of Liberation was screened at the beginning. In his welcome remarks, Consul General Mr. Md. Shameem Ahsan,ndc, paid glowing tributes to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, martyrs, freedom fighters and foreign friends including India and former Soviet Union whose sacrifices and support led the country to the final victory. He called upon Bangladesh diaspora to come forward to realize the dream of “Sonar Bangla” envisioned by the Father of the Nation and to implement “Digital Bangladesh” under the dynamic leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Mr. Tareq Mohammad Ariful Islam, Acting Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UN was also present. Mr. Tareq mentioned that Bangladesh is a star performer in many respects which helped earn international recognition under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. One of the salient features of the discussion segment was the presence of Col (Retd.) Mr. Shubhash Kulkarni of the Indian Army who fought against the Pakistani occupation forces under the Joint Command. In emotion-chocked voice, he reminisced his unique experience while fighting the Pakistani military in Jamalpur sector along with the freedom fighters. The audience was moved by his narrative of the war of liberation. The Consul General presented a souvenir in honor of Mr. Kulkarni. Other discussants highlighted on the importance of the Day and urged all to come forward to contribute to the development journey of Bangladesh to materialized ‘Sonar Bangla’. Stellar performance by the artistes who comprised Consulate family and members of the diaspora enthralled the audience. Noted singers of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra namely Mr. Rathindranath Roy and Mr. Shahid Hasan rendered patriotic songs at the event which captivated the audience. Freedom fighters, political leaders, representatives of various social and cultural organizations, officers and officials of the Consulate and the Permanent Mission, among others, were in attendance. The guests were served with traditional Bangladeshi cuisine.

In a related development, Mr. Jose ‘Joey’ Torres, Hon’ble Mayor of Paterson City, New Jersey along with the Consul General in New York jointly raised the national flag of Bangladesh on the Victory Day with the presence of US high officials including Councilmen and community members in front of Mayor’s Office as a mark of respect to Bangladesh. This is a unique gesture, shown each year since introduced in 2009, in a foreign land for the sacrifices made for the victory of Bangladesh. The Mayor also issued a Proclamation in recognition of the Day which was read out at the discussion segment.