President, PM pay homage to Bangabandhu on his birth centenary

MNA National Desk: President M Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina have paid rich tributes to father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of the great leader.

They paid their homage by placing wreaths at the mazar (mausoleum) of Bangabandhu in Tungipara of Gopalganj.

President Hamid first laid a wreath at the mazar of Bangabandhu followed by the prime minister.

After placing the wreaths, they stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the father of the nation while the bugle played the last post, BSS reported.

A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force gave an honour guard on the occasion.

Abdul Hamid and Sheikh Hasina offered Fateha and joined a munajat seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of Bangabandhu as well as other martyrs of the August 15 carnage.

Sheikh Rehana, the younger daughter of Bangabandhu, PM’s daughter Saima Wazed Hossain, Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and his wife Peppi Siddiq were present on the occasion.

Awami League (AL) Advisory Council member Amir Hossain Amu, speaker of the Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque, AL’s general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, presidium members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and agriculture minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, information minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, home affairs minister Asaduzzaman Khan, education minister Dr Dipu Moni, expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmad, industries minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, commerce minister Tipu Munshi, land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, PM’s sdviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, chief whip Noor-e- Alam Chowdhury Liton, state minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam, state minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, state minister for youth and sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel, state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for public administration Md Farhad Hossain, state minister for women and children affairs Fazilatun Nessa, Dhaka South City Corporation mayor barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, deputy minister for water resources AKM Enamul Haque Shamim and deputy minister for education barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury were present.

Among others, AL presidium members Muhammad Faruk Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, central leaders Abul Hasnat Abdullah and Sheikh Helal Uddin, its joint general secretaries Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries Mirza Azam and SM Kamal Hossain, Publicity and publication secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, office secretary Biplob Barua, labour secretary Habibur Rahman Siraj, Awami Jubo League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Parosh and Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel, MP, were present.

Besides, cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, chief of army staff general Aziz Ahmed, chief of naval staff admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury, chief of air staff Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat, PM’s principal secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, senior secretary of home ministry Mostofa Kamal Uddin, inspector general of police Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary, PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, President’s press secretary joynal Abedin as well as senior AL leaders and high civil and military officials were also present.

Later, the president signed the visitor’s book kept on the mazar premises.

Earlier on his arrival on the mazar premises, president Abdul Hamid was received by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Abul Hasnat Abdullah and Sheikh Helal Uddin.

Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, placed another wreath at the mazar of Bangabandhu on behalf of her party.

Helicopters staged an acrobatic show spreading red and green colours on the mausoleum of Bangabandhu. The helicopters carrying the national flag and placards inscribed with Mujib Borsha logo flew over the mazar for some time.

Later the president and the prime minister joined a milad and doa mahfil on the mazar premises.

After that, the prime minister offered Fateha with her family members at the mausoleum and visited her ancestral old house.

The prime minister flew to Tungipara after placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Dhanmondi Road No 32 in the capital.

The birthday of Bangabandhu is being observed across the country as the National Children’s Day for many years.

But this year’s programme is very special as the nation is celebrating the year as the ‘Mujib Borsha’, the birth centenary celebration of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all time.