JEDDAH — The Consulate General of Bangladesh this week celebrated the 94th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children's Day — 2014 with due enthusiasm and fanfare. The whole program was divided into three parts. In the first part, an art competition on “Bangabandhur Sapner Bangladesh” was held on March 14 at the consulate premises. A large number of children from Bangladesh International School (Bengali & English sections) and other institutes participated in the event with great fervor. On the same day, an essay writing competition for children on two topics, “Bangabandhur Desprem” and “Bangabandhu and Bangladesher Muktir Sangram”was organized. The second part of the program was opened on March 17 at the consulate premises and conducted by the students of Bangladesh International Schools (Bengali & English sections). Biren Sikder, state minister for youth and sports; and Nur Mohammad, secretary in the ministry, were the chief guest and special guest respectively. Both are in the Kingdom on an official visit. Students from the two schools in Jeddah delivered valuable speeches focusing on the life and work of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during the discussion part. The chief guest paid rich tributes to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and highlighted the glorious role he played to liberate the country. He urged the young generation to follow the principles of Bangabandhu to turn his dream Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal) into a reality. He said the present government of Bangladesh, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been relentlessly striving toward strengthening democracy, establishing rule of law, ensuring good governance and securing the fundamentals for an unimpeded economic growth. Nur Mohammad mentioned that Bangabandhu was an incomparable leader of the country. He urged those present to learn from the life of Bangabandhu and contribute to nation-building. In Riyadh, special programs to mark the occasion were held at the Bangladesh embassy. The day's program included discussion meeting, poetry recitation on Bangabandhu and screening of a video on his life. Art, essay, poem and recitation competitions were also organized for children. Md. Shahidul Islam, ambassador of Bangladesh, paid sincere tribute to the Father of the Nation and attributed deepest respect remembering his contribution to the creation of Bangladesh. He called upon all Bangladesh nationals to work hard together to further uplift the image of Bangladesh in the Kingdom. Highlighting the significance and spirit of the day, the ambassador underlined the need for renewing the commitment and reinforcing concerted efforts to contribute to the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh.
