17 December, 2009 - The green and red Bangladesh national flag fluttered in the morning breeze as the Bangladesh community in Thimphu celebrated their 38th anniversary of Independence Day, which was joined by Bhutanese officials.
The Bangladesh Ambassador to Bhutan Majibur Rahman Bhuiyan said that Bhutan and Bangladesh share a very excellent bilateral relation characterised by historical, cultural and political ties after he hoisted the national flag. “I look forward to a better friendship in the future,” said the ambassador.
The ambassador also read out the President of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina’s message to the nation. In her message, Sheikh Hasina, who recently visited Bhutan said, “My deepest respect goes to the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose call the Bengali nation earned the ultimate victory on December 16, 1971 when the Pakistani forces and their local collaborators were bound to lay down their arms ending the nine-month blood-spattered liberation war.”
“This is the day for the people of Bangladesh to recall the sacrifices of three million martyrs and 200,000 women, who lost their chastity, in achieving the independence of the motherland. I salute the freedom-fighters, who had fought to free the country from the occupation forces,” stated the president in her message. “I urge all, irrespective of party affiliation, opinion, class and profession, and caste and creed to work together for building a happy and prosperous country. Let us build a Bangladesh, as dreamt by the father of the nation, where a horizon of prospect will usher in for our future generations.”
By Tashi Tenzin
