“Friendly relations between Bangladesh and Canada will be stronger in the future”

The 54th Great Independence and National Day was celebrated with due dignity by the Ottawa High Commission on Tuesday. As part of the special program taken on the occasion of the day, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada hoisted the national flag with the national anthem at Bangladesh House in Ottawa at 10 am. Khalilur Rahman.

After hoisting the flag, a special prayer was offered for the peace of the souls of the great architect of freedom Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 3 million martyrs of the Great War of Independence.

As the next activity of the day, a special discussion meeting was organized in the auditorium of the High Commission at 12 noon. High Commissioner Dr. Khalilur Rahman presided over this discussion meeting, high commission officials and freedom fighters living in Canada and members of the Bangladeshi community were present.

In the President’s speech on the occasion, the High Commissioner mentioned the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the undisputed leader of the Bengali nation, in every mass movement from the language movement of 1952 to the great liberation war of 1971.

He said that after understanding the conspiracy of the Pakistani rulers, Bangabandhu instructed everyone to prepare for freedom in his March 7 speech at the Race Course Maidan. On the night of March 25, the Pakistani invading forces started attacking and massacring the unarmed Bengalis, Bangabandhu declared the independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26 and called for the liberation war.

The High Commissioner respectfully remembered the sacrifices of 3 million martyrs and 200,000 mothers and sisters who lost their dignity in the Great War of Liberation. He appealed to everyone to keep the non-sectarian spirit of the great liberation war in the social and state life.

Dr. Khalilur Rahman highlighted the unprecedented economic development of Bangladesh in the last 15 years under the leadership of the current Prime Minister, who is the ideal daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He urged everyone at home and abroad to work together to build a developed, prosperous ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041 under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

The High Commissioner expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of Canada for their support in the Great War of Liberation. The High Commissioner mentioned in his speech that since the establishment of diplomatic relations on February 14, 1972, the two countries have been working closely on various issues including human rights, development, combating extremism, women’s empowerment and climate change. He expressed hope that the historically friendly relations between Bangladesh and Canada will be strengthened in the future in all other fields including trade.

Earlier, at the beginning of the discussion program, tributes were paid to the portrait of Bangabandhu by placing wreaths under the leadership of the High Commissioner. After that, the concerned officials of the High Commission read out the speeches given by the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on the occasion of the day. Then a documentary film sent from Dhaka was shown on the occasion of the day.

The High Commissioner called the freedom fighters present at the meeting to the stage and was caught on camera with them. The brave freedom fighters referred to our great freedom as the greatest achievement of the Bengali nation. They emphasized on building a non-discrimination society in the spirit of liberation war.

Besides, the speakers urged everyone to work together with the Prime Minister to build a society without discrimination. They vowed to work together to inspire the spirit and patriotism of the second and third generation Bangladeshis living in Canada.