RIYADH — The Embassy of Bangladesh commemorated the 44th anniversary of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh at the chancery premises Thursday in a befitting manner. The day's program included recitation from the Holy Qur'an, ceremonial hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador Golam Moshi and reading out of the messages of president, prime minister, foreign minister and state minister for foreign affairs followed by a short speech by the ambassador. Special prayers were offered seeking salvation of the departed souls of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and members of his family and of the valiant freedom fighters for their sacrifices during the War of Independence and for continued peace, progress and prosperity of Bangladesh. A good number of Bangladeshis living in Riyadh and nearby areas, teachers and students of Bangladesh International Schools in Riyadh attended the ceremony. Moshi paid sincere tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman whose unparalleled leadership inspired the people to fight for independence. He mentioned that the independence, earned through huge bloodbath and sacrifice, is our people's greatest achievement. To ensure that this achievement remains meaningful, the spirit of our great liberation war should reach every nook and corner of the country. Cherishing the true history of the liberation war close to our hearts, we would have to go ahead in achieving the objectives of the Charter of Change by building a Bangladesh, free from corruption, mal-governance, terrorism, hunger and poverty. He also remembered with gratitude the contributions of the valiant freedom fighters of war of independence who made supreme sacrifices to liberate the country. He called upon all Bangladeshis to work hard to brighten the image of Bangladesh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and contribute to Bangladesh's economic development. Highlighting the significance and spirit of the day, he underlined the need for renewing the commitment to remain united and make concerted efforts for the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. The ambassador thanked the expatriate Bangladeshis for participating in the economic development of Bangladesh by sending remittances through banking channel. While highlighting the progress of the existing government in different sectors, the ambassador mentioned that the days are not too far when Bangladesh will occupy important positions in international arena and it will become a ‘Golden Bengal' (Digital Bangladesh) as envisioned by the Father of the Nation. A reception will be held in the evening of March 29 at the Diplomatic Quarters in Riyadh. High officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and other ministries and departments, ambassadors of various countries and senior diplomats, local journalists, business leaders and expatriate Bangladeshis will attend the reception. — SG
