President greets countrymen on Independence Day

President Md Abdul Hamid on Friday extended his heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to the countrymen living at home and abroad on the occasion of 26 March, the Independence and National Day.

In a message on the eve of the great Independence and National Day, he remembered with profound respect the architect of independent Bangladesh, the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

On the fateful night of 25 March 1971, the invading forces of Pakistan suddenly attacked the unarmed Bangalees, he said.

The president said in the early hours of 26 March, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman officially declared the Independence of Bangladesh.

"We achieved an independent and sovereign Bangladesh through a nine-month long Liberation War under the able leadership of Bangabandhu," he said.

He recalled with deep respect the millions of martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the War of Liberation and that "we achieved our independence for their supreme sacrifice."

The president also recalled with deep reverence the four National Leaders, heroic freedom-fighters, organisers, supporters, foreign friends and people from all walks of life who made contributions to attain the nation's right to self-determination and freedom movement.

Bangabandhu always cherished a dream of building a happy and prosperous country along with attaining political emancipation, he mentioned.

Abdul Hamid said the present government has been rendering untiring efforts in materialising the dream of Bangabandhu.

Today, Bangladesh is moving towards the highway of development at an inexorable pace, the president said.

"We have achieved enormous success in various areas of socio-economic development including poverty alleviation, education, health, human resources development, women empowerment, reduction of child and maternal mortality rates, elimination of gender discrimination and increase in average life expectancy," he said.

Rate of poverty has been dropped while per capita income has tripled over the past decade, he also mentioned. 

He said on the occasion of "Mujib Barsho" a huge number of landless and homeless people are being rehabilitated, which has created a new stream in the whole world in the concept of poverty alleviation of the rootless and helpless people.