Staff Reporter :
The 97th birth anniversary of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day will be observed today [Friday] with due respect and festivity.
Marking the day, the government along with various socio-cultural and political organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes throughout the country. On the day, the President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will place floral wreaths at the Bangabandhu’s mazar at Tungipara in Gopalganj. The President and PM will offer fateha and special prayers seeking eternal peace of the departed soul of Bangabandhu as well as other martyrs of the August 15 carnage.
A smartly turned out contingent of army, navy and air force will present guard of honour while bugle will play the last post.
A central delegation of the ruling party Bangladesh Awami League led by its President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also place wreaths at mazar.
The PM is scheduled to address a children’s rally as the chief guest on the mazar premises organized by the Women and Children Affairs Ministry and Gopalganj District Administration.
After delivering her speech, the PM will enjoy the cultural show of children sitting in the audience row. Later, she will inaugurate ‘Grantha Mela’ arranged by the Jatiya Grantha Kendra. After that, the PM will distribute sewing machines and visit the photo exhibition titled- ‘Khoka Theke Bangabandhu.’
President Abdul Hamid is expected to inaugurate the National Children’s Day programme to be arranged by Bangabandhu Shishu Kishore Mela at Bangabhaban in the afternoon.
Marking the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages greeted the nation.
In his message, Abdul Hamid said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of independent Bangladesh, always dreamt of building a happy and prosperous Sonar Bangla [Golden Bengal]. “We have to build our young generation as worthy citizens to materialise Bangabandhu’s dream of transforming our country into ‘Sonar-Bangla’,” he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said Bangabandhu was not only the leader of the Bangalee, but also a forerunner in realising the rights of the oppressed and deprived masses of the world. “Let us join our hands to build a non-communal, hunger-poverty free and happy-prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation. On the day, this is our commitment,” she said.
