The Bangladesh missions Riyadh and Jeddah joined their countrymen living in the Kingdom to celebrate their country’s 44th National and Independence Day on Thursday.

The day’s program in Riyadh started with the Bangladeshi national anthem in the presence of the country’s Ambassador Golam Moshi and officials of the embassy.

The day’s program included recitation from the Holy Qur’an, ceremonial hoisting of the national flag by Moshi and reading out the messages of the country’s president, prime minister, foreign minister and state minister for foreign affairs followed by a short speech by the ambassador.

In Jeddah, Bangladesh Consul General A.K.M. Shahidul Karim hoisted his country’s flag before a large community gathering in the morning. In the evening, Karim hosted a reception to special guests at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

In his speech, Moshi paid sincere tributes to the ‘Father of the Nation’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman whose unparalleled leadership inspired the people to fight for the independence of Bangladesh. “The independence, earned through huge bloodbath and sacrifice, is our people’s greatest achievement,” he said.

To ensure that this achievement remains meaningful, he added that the spirit of “our great liberation war should reach every nook and corner of the country.”

He said: “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, terrorism, hunger and poverty.”

He 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 and contribute to their country’s economic development.

A good number of Bangladeshis living in Riyadh and nearby areas, teachers and students of Bangladesh international schools in Riyadh attended the ceremony.

Highlighting the progress of the existing government in different sectors, the ambassador said: “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.