Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C. celebrates Birth Centennial of Bangabandhu

Shamim Ahmad, Washington, D.C.: Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C. joined the nation and elsewhere of the world to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of the architect of Bangladesh Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, offering profound respect, deep gratitude and unalloyed love for the great leader.

On this day in 1920, Bangabandhu Mujib, the greatest Bangalee of all time and uncrowned leader of the repressed and deprived people of the world, was born in a greatly respected Muslim family in Tungipara village of Gopalganj district.

From his boyhood, Bangabandhu was undaunted, courageous and got strong love for humanity. He was endowed with the incredible power of memory and farsightedness. The prime mission of his long checkered political career was to free the Bengali nation from bonds of the shackle and ensure their improved life by pulling out from the vicious cycle of hunger, poverty and illiteracy.

Bangabandhu Mujib embraced prison life over and over again during the British and Pakistani era while leading all the historic democratic movements starting from ‘52s Language Movement to ‘71s War of Independence and founded independent, sovereign Bangladesh.

Unfortunately, the Bengali nation lost this great leader and most members of his family when a gang of army renegades staged bloody massacre on August 15, 1975.

The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, declared the Mujib Year from March 2020 to March 2021 to let the people know the life and work of this late lamented leader.

UNESCO celebrated the Mujib Year across the globe. Washington, D.C. declared Mujib Year from March 17, 2020, to March 17, 2021, as a mark of respect to Bangladesh’s founding leader. New York Senate and Michigan State and Senate also paid special tributes to Bangabandhu.

The embassy celebrated Bangabandhu’s birth centenary in-house complying with guidelines of the US authorities to stop the spread of Coronavirus. In celebration of the day, Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Mohammad Ziauddin hoisted the national flag ceremoniously with the tune of national anthem and placed

wreath at the bust of Bangabandhu. Officers and employees of the embassy accompanied him.

In his remarks Ambassador Ziauddin paid rich tributes to the Father of the Nation and Bangabandhu’s booming voice demanding a home for the oppressed Bengalis reverberated around the world and finally lead to the birth of Bangladesh.

“Though the great iconoclastic revolutionary leader left us 45 years ago, his voice and words sound louder now than ever before,” he said.

The Ambassador said Bangabandhu’s God-gifted intuitive mind conjured a vision of ideals and a philosophy of life very much alive and relevant even today.

Ziauddin said Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cherished her father’s legacy, picking up from where he left off with burning desire to realize his “Sonar Bangla.”

Later on, messages from the Hon’ble President, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Foreign Minister and Hon’ble State Minister for Foreign Affairs were readout. Defence Attaché Brig-Gen Moinul Hassan, Minister (Press) Shamim Ahmad, Minister (Economic) Mahadee Hassan and Minister (Consular) Habibur Rahman read out the messages respectively.

A documentary on life and work of Bangabandhu titled “Bangabandhu: In Our Hearts” was screened and a celebration cake was cut marking the 100th birthday of the great leader. A special prayer was offered seeking divine blessings of the departed soul of Bangabandhu and martyrs of August 15, 1975.

First Secretary and Head of Chancery Mahmudul Islam conducted the program.