Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland HE Saida Muna Tasneem has given the special message below, extending her warm greetings to Bangladeshi- British and Bangladeshi-Irish communities on the 50th Anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence and the Birth Centenary of Bangladesh’s Founding Father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the glorious independence of Bangladesh and the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I would like to extend on behalf of Bangladesh High Commission London our heartfelt felicitations to all my fellow countrymen and Bangladeshi-British and Bangladeshi-Irish brothers and sisters in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Fifty years ago on 26 March 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had declared Bangladesh’s independence. On this auspicious occasion, I would like to pay my homage and deep tribute to the Father of the Nation without whose charismatic leadership Bangladesh would not have emerged as an independent nation. On this special occasion, I pay my deep homage and gratitude to the valiant freedom fighters and the 3 million Bengali martyrs of our 1971 War of Liberation, the 200,000 women who had made supreme sacrifice, and the martyred intellectuals of Bangladesh, without whose sacrifice, we could not have become an independent nation and fly today the flag of Bangladesh so proudly.
I would also like to take this opportunity to pay my gratitude to the four national martyred leaders who created the first government of independent Bangladesh in Mujib Nagar.
Today, on this special occasion. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay my special gratitude to my British-Bangladeshi brethren who had played an extraordinary role during our 1971 War of Liberation and made the rallies in Trafalgar Square, the Westminster Palace as well as at Hyde Park on release of Bangabandhu, recognise Bangladesh and stop genocide. Their sacrifice would always be remembered. I also like to recall the Bangladesh diplomats and the British-Bangladeshi community who during the 1971 War had flown the flag of independent Bangladesh at the first Bangladesh’s mission in London at 24 Pembridge Gardens.
Today, I pay my special gratitude to all the foreign governments, specially the government of India and the Russian Federation, who had stood next to us during the War of Liberation and shed their blood along with our martyrs in 1971.
This year in 2021, we are also celebrating the 50 years of Bangladesh-UK diplomatic relations. I take this opportunity to reaffirm that the special bonds of friendship and goodwill between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom that so happily exists will be taken to further heights during the next 50 years of our relations. I pledge my special commitment to move this relationship into newer heights and unprecedented growth and prosperity.
Today, on this occasion I pay my special gratitude to Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the visionary and missionary daughter of our Father of the Nation for upholding the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War, democracy, secularism, freedom, Bengali nationalism and social justice. I pay a special salute to our Prime Minister for taking Bangladesh to unprecedented growth and prosperity towards Bangabandhu’s ‘Sonar Bangla Vision’ or the ‘Golden Bengal Vision’.
I thank His Royal Highness Prince of Wales and Right Honourable Prime Minister Boris Johnson for issuing messages of felicitations to our people and government, and also to the British-Bangladeshis here on the occasion of our 50th anniversary of independence and the Birth Centenary of our Father of the Nation. I thank all the heads of government who are commemorating along with Bangladesh and expressing solidarity in Dhaka in celebration of our 50th anniversary of independence. Long live, Bangladesh. Long live Bangladesh-UK Friendship.”
