Tag: Sheikh Hasina

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Hasina Begins Fourth Term as PM

Sheikh Hasina is officially the longest-serving leader in Bangladesh’s history….reports Asian Lite News

Following the ruling Awami League’s (AL) win in the January 7 Bangladesh general elections, incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the oath of office on Wednesday for her historic fourth-consecutive term.

The oath to Hasina and other newly-elected MPs was administered by Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, reports Xinhua news agency.

Apart from this, independent MPs-elect and newly-elected legislators were also sworn in at the ceremony.

According to a gazette notification published by the Election Commission on Tuesday, the ruling AL won 223 out of 298 seats in the polls conducted on Sunday, more than enough for her party to form a straight fourth five-year term government since January 2009 after running the country from 1996-2001.

Sheikh Hasina is officially the longest-serving leader in Bangladesh’s history.

The result showed that independent candidates won 61 seats while the Jatiya Party bagged 11 seats and other AL allies got two seats.

Apart from this, another political group the Bangladesh Kalyan Party secured one seat.

Voter turnout was recorded at 41.8 per cent.

The party-led alliance bagged a landslide win with 225 seats.

The AL will form its new cabinet on Thursday, a senior Cabinet Division official told Xinhua news agency.

Sunday’s elections were held amid mass violence and arrests of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and supporters.

The BNP boycotted the polls after the AL rejected their demands for an independent caretaker government to preside over the elections.

The opposition party had also called on people to not cast their votes.

According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), nearly 10,000 activists were arrested after an opposition rally on October 28, 2023 turned violent, resulting in the deaths of at least 16 people and injuring more than 5,500, reports the BBC.

It accused the government of “filling prisons with the ruling AL’s political opponents”.

The AL has however, denied these accusations.

ALSO READ: Observers From ECI Laud Peaceful Bangladesh Polls

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Hasina Highlights India Ties in Post-Election Plans

How Hasina, with India's support, broke the back of Pak-sponsored terror in Bangladesh.(photo:IN)

Sheikh Hasina expressed gratitude towards India, emphasising its pivotal role in supporting Bangladesh during critical moments in history…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who secured her fifth term in the recent general elections, outlined her plans for the country’s international relations and highlighted the strong bond between Bangladesh and India.

She expressed gratitude towards India, emphasising its pivotal role in supporting Bangladesh during critical moments in history.

In a press conference at her residence, Ganabhaban, in Dhaka, she responded to a question from ANI about her plans for Bangladesh’s international engagement over the next five years and the ties with India, saying, “India is a great friend of Bangladesh. They supported us in 1971 and 1975. We consider India our next-door neighbour. I really appreciate that we have a wonderful relationship with India.”

The Prime Minister stressed the historical significance of India’s support during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and the subsequent challenges faced by the nation in 1975. She hailed the enduring friendship between the two countries and reiterated the importance of India as a key ally.

“In the next 5 years, our main focus will be on economic progress and fulfilling all the work that we have started. We have already declared our manifesto, and we follow our election manifesto whenever we prepare our budget and try to fulfil our promises. The development of the people and our country is our main aim,” Sheikh Hasina added.

She further expressed her commitment to serving the people of Bangladesh, emphasising the responsibility she feels towards the citizens who have repeatedly voted for her.

“I try to work for my people. With motherly affection, I look after my people. Our people gave me this opportunity. Time and again, people have voted for me, and that is why I am here…I am just a common person but I always feel responsible for my people. I feel this is the opportunity to serve my people and ensure them a better life,” she also said.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s aspirations for the future, Sheikh Hasina outlined the country’s goal to develop a smart population, smart government, smart economy, and smart society by 2041. She emphasised the importance of training the younger generation for the challenges of the future.

“By nature, our people are very smart, and as I mentioned, we want to train our younger generation for the future. It is our target to develop the country by 2041. Smart population, smart government, smart economy, and smart society are our main aims,” the Prime Minister affirmed.

Hasina also addressed concerns about individuals with ties to terrorist organisations or engaged in illegal activities refraining from contesting elections. She asserted that the victory in elections is a result of the people’s choices and is not influenced by those avoiding participation due to such affiliations.

Hasina was re-elected for a fifth term in the national election that was conducted on Sunday amidst the boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former PM Khaleda Zia, who is currently in jail. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Sporadic Clashes Taint Bangladesh Polls

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Hasina’s Time Cover Stirs Controversy in Bangladesh

The cover story penned by Charlie Campbell drew criticism from netizens, Awami League leaders, activists, and admirers of Prime Minister Hasina….reports Asian Lite News

A cover story on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a recent edition of the Time magazine, titled ‘Hard Power: Sheikh Hasina and the Fate of Democracy in Bangladesh’, has drawn frowns from many back home.

The cover feature, authored by Charlie Campbell, wasn’t received too well by netizens, leaders of the ruling Awami League and activists, and those who hold Prime Minister Hasina in high regard.

However, it appears that many readers may not have delved deeply into the content of the article, which presents a multifaceted view of Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, according to the Bangladesh-based Daily Asian Age.

Throughout her tenure in office since 2009, Hasina has faced numerous challenges, including the BDR mutiny, the economic recovery post-Covid, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

While not highlighting her achievements as the country’s premier, the cover feature in Time magazine raised concerns over the elections of 2014 and 2018.

“Bangladesh has taken an authoritarian turn under Hasina’s Awami League party. The last two elections were condemned by the US, EU and others for significant irregularities, including stuffed ballot boxes and thousands of phantom voters. She won 84% and 82% of the vote, respectively,” the cover story read.

“Time magazine has conveyed a message to the world that raises diplomatic questions about Sheikh Hasina’s leadership”, stated Asian Age in its take on the cover feature.

“This message touches on the global financial crisis and Bangladesh’s reliance on loans, which reached 96.2 US billion dollars by December 2022. Bangladesh’s key development partners include the United States, the European Union, India, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” the Bangladesh-based daily stated.

The article added that “Washington is concerned about Bangladesh’s drift toward despotism. Hasina was not invited to the latest two U.S.-hosted Summit for Democracy gatherings, and in May the country unveiled visa restrictions on any Bangladeshi undermining elections.”

However, the daily also noted that Time magazine undermined Prime Minister Hasina’s achievement in eradicating poverty in Bangladesh.

“Today people are suffering,” one rickshaw driver in Dhaka complained to Time, saying that “his daily wage of 400 taka (USD 3.50) can barely cover the cost of cooking oil and lentils for his wife and two children,” read the cover story in the Time magazine.

The image of Sheikh Hasina on the magazine’s cover depicts her in a less flattering light, raising questions about the choice of photographer, Sarker Protick, who has associations with photojournalist Shahidul Alam, known for criticism of the government, according to Daily Asian Age.

Claiming that Sheikh Hasina may be apprehensive about the upcoming elections in Bangladesh, the Time article stated, “The burning issue for Hasina is that were she removed from power she would likely encounter the same kind of repressive retribution that her government is currently inflicting.”

Significantly, Time magazine previously interviewed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in 2006, during a period when militancy emerged in Bangladesh. BNP’s regime from 2001 to 2006 witnessed the rise of militancy, including a grenade attack on Hasina in 2004, according to Daily Asian Age.

The contrasting portrayal of Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina by Time magazine has prompted discussions about the role of Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the ruling party’s Information and Publicity Secretary, and the Press Wing of the Prime Minister’s Office in addressing these articles.

Hasina remains a prominent and influential figure in Bangladesh politics. Under her leadership, Bangladesh has made significant strides in socio-economic development, earning admiration worldwide for its achievements since 2009, Daily Asian Age reported. (ANI)

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Sheikh Hasina: Longest-Serving Female Leader, Transforming Bangladesh

Having already won more elections than late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher or Indira Gandhi, Hasina is determined to extend that run at the ballot box in January.

 At 76-years-old, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a political phenomenon who has guided the rise of this nation of 170 million from rustic jute producer into the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-expanding economy over the past decade, Time said in a cover story on the world’s longest-serving female head of govt.

In office since 2009, after an earlier term from 1996 to 2001, she has been credited with subduing both resurgent Islamists and a once meddlesome military, Time said.

Having already won more elections than late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher or Indira Gandhi, Hasina is determined to extend that run at the ballot box in January.

“I am confident that my people are with me,” she says in an interview with Time in September. “They’re my main strength.”

Bangladesh has taken an authoritarian turn under Hasina’s Awami League party. The last two elections were condemned by the US, E.U. and others for significant irregularities, including stuffed ballot boxes and thousands of phantom voters.

She won 84 per cene and 82 per cent of the vote, respectively.

Today, Khaleda Zia, two-time former Premier and BNP leader, sits gravely ill under house arrest on dubious corruption charges.

(Pic credits @MoPEMR)

Meanwhile, BNP workers have been hit by a staggering 4 million legal cases, while independent journalists and civil society also complain of vindictive harassment.

Critics say January’s vote is tantamount to a coronation and Hasina to a dictator, Time said.

“The ruling party is controlling all the state machinery, whether it’s the law enforcement agencies or the judiciary,” says BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who has been charged in 93 cases—including vandalism and murder—and imprisoned nine times.

“Whenever we raise our voices, they oppress us.”

Hasina’s economic achievements are impressive.

Bangladesh has gone from struggling to feed its people to a food exporter with a GDP rising from $71 billion in 2006 to $460 billion in 2022, making it South Asia’s second largest economy after India.

Social indicators have also improved, with 98 per cent of girls today receiving primary education. Bangladesh is moving into high-tech manufacturing, allowing international firms like Samsung to extricate supply chains from China.

“We need to improve, of course, when it comes to democracy, human rights, free speech,” says Professor Mohammad Ali Arafat, an Awami League lawmaker from central Dhaka.

“But we have come a long way.”

Hasina knows that a bitter and bruised opposition means failure is not an option.

“It is not that easy to overthrow me through a democratic system,” she says. “The only option is just to eliminate me. And I am ready to die for my people.”

ALSO READ: World Bank Grants $210M to Bangladesh For Women, Children

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Hasina, Sullivan Discussed Ways to Improve Ties  

Sheikh Hasina.

Both sides talked about the importance of improving our bilateral relationship across a range of issues including climate change…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last week during which they discussed the importance of improving the relationship between the two countries, the White House said.

The Bangladeshi prime minister was here last week and also met several other senior officials of the Biden Administration. Last month, she had a fruitful pull-aside meeting with President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

They (the prime minister and US NSA) talked about the importance of improving our bilateral relationship across a range of issues including climate change, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House told reporters at a news conference here on Tuesday.

The two meetings gained significance in the wake of the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh. They did talk about the importance of free and fair elections, Kirby said in response to a question.

A day earlier, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that the United States wants what the Bangladeshis themselves want: free and fair elections that are conducted in a peaceful manner.

The government, political parties, civil society, and the media in Bangladesh have all expressed their desire that the upcoming national elections are free and fair and conducted in a peaceful manner as we want, he said.

The visa restriction policy that we’ve announced supports this objective and the desire of the people of Bangladesh to freely choose their leaders. The United States does not support any particular party and does not want to influence the outcome of the election, only to ensure that the people of Bangladesh may freely choose their leaders, Miller said.

As the time of general elections is approaching in Bangladesh, the issue of US visa restrictions for Bangladesh has once again arisen.

The US unveiled a new visa policy for Bangladesh that stated, “It would deny visas to individuals, from law enforcers to political leaders, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.”

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen spoke to the media on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City. He said that Dhaka has maintained Bangladesh-US relations after Bangladesh achieved statehood and there is no stress between the two nations over Visa restrictions.

“We have no tension with the US,” he told media on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, noting that the US will not grant visas only to those who will try to foil the upcoming election in Bangladesh.

“Dhaka has given a befitting reply on the US visa ban policy and said that it does not impact the current regime…opposition people should be scared” he said.

The US announced that it is taking steps to impose visa restrictions in Bangladesh for those involved in undermining the democratic process during the upcoming general elections. The announcement can be considered as a ‘follow-up’ to the initial announcement of the visa restriction policy in July 2023.

Responding media queries State Minister for Foreign Affairs for Bangladesh Md Shahriar Alam said, “Bangladesh has nothing to lose and the administration in Dhaka is not worried about the visa restriction issue, as it has done nothing wrong.”

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Hasina Bats For More Women in STEM Fields

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that her government has made it a priority to have women and girls lead in every sphere.

In an address to the 8th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for additional efforts globally to allow more women to excel in the science field.

“It is unfortunate that women represent only 12 per cent of scientists and 30 per cent of researchers globally. We must work to address the barriers in mindsets and learning environments to allow more women and girls to excel in science,” she said in a video statement screened at the UN Headquarters on FRiday.

“Our women are doing very well in the field of research and higher education. Scholarships are being given to girls to carry out research in agriculture, industry, health, science, art, information technology — all the fields.

“The women and girls in science and technology must remember that they are not alone. The steps they take would help open the door further for their sisters around the world,” she added.

Informing the Science Assembly, the Prime Minister said her government has established 5,275 digital centres across the country from where a girl and a boy entrepreneur are providing 200 types of services.

“Today, we celebrate the women and girls who are making important contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Bangladesh.”

The premier also said that her government has made it a priority to have women and girls lead in every sphere.

Describing some of the measures, she said they have established science and technology universities nationwide to ensure easy access to those for Bangladeshi boys and girls.

The prime minister said the hi-tech parks have created an inclusive environment where the girls can thrive alongside the boys.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science began as a resolution by the UN in 2015.

The mission was to address the gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields by celebrating the contributions and achievements of women in science.

ALSO READ: Will Hasina retain power in Bangladesh?

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‘Evil forces’: Hasina slams BNP-led opposition for ‘backdoor politicking’

Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina was speaking to the nation marking the fourth-year of the Awami League government’s current tenure, reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday slammed the Opposition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), saying that “evil forces are trying to grab power through back-door politicking”.

She said this during a televised address to the nation marking the fourth-year of the Awami League government’s current tenure.

“Bangladesh has never witnessed such a misrule with communalism and militancy that set an inhuman and worst example during the regime of BNP government. They established the culture of murder, disappearance (of people), rape, looting… now those evil forces are trying to grab power through back-door politicking,” Hasina said on Friday.

She also called upon the pro-liberation, peace-loving democratic rule of law-believing political parties and organisations not to instigate the propaganda being hatched on social media to hinder the country’s constitutional process.

Hasina also asked the people to remain alert as the “anti-liberation forces, power grabbers, people eyeing other’s wealth and parasites are out to create instability to capture power through the back-door and impede the democratic process during the national election”.

The polls are scheduled to be held in January 2024.

ALSO READ: 2023: Hasina Reboots Bangladesh

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Bangla Economy On Fast Track

The Sri Lanka crisis won’t replicate in Bangladesh because the country is armed with a forex reserve of over $40 billion. To protect the poor, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promulgated several schemes to provide food for the poor and pensions for the old and widows. To spread the light of education, textbooks and study materials are distributed free of cost to primary to secondary school students on the first day of the academic year. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman freed the Bengali nation from the shackles of subjugation. Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla dream will be fulfilled by Sheikh Hasina … writes Matiar Chowdhury

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman freed the Bengali nation from the shackles of subjugation. His daughter Sheikh Hasina is working tirelessly to build Bangabandhu’s dream of Sonar Bangla. Bangabandhu spent most of his life in prison for the sake of the country and the nation, he wanted an independent sovereign non-communal Bangladesh. So in 1971, the people of the country responded to his call and jumped into the liberation war. Nine months of bloody war, the sacrifice of three million martyrs and the freedom gained.

Bangabandhu dreamed of a prosperous Golden Bengal. When he was freed from Pakistani prison and took charge of running the country, the coffers of the country were empty. Pakistanis drain the country till its last drop. During 1972-1975, Sheikh Mujib took the country forward a long way. But the forces of evil have another agenda to derail the country’s progress. On August 15, 1975, the father of the nation was killed along with his family. The progress of the country was stopped.

Anti-independence activists want to take the country back to Pakistani ideology. National slogans were changed, and communal groups emerged. It has been a long 21 years of trying to bring the country back to the Pakistani way of thinking. The Ziaur Rahman Indemnity Ordinance stopped the trial of Bangabandhu’s murder in Jarikere, and the national flag of the country was handed over to the anti-independence Rajakars by repatriation. Bangabandhu’s murderers were rewarded with jobs in various embassies. Prosecution of war criminals was stopped.

In 1975, Sheikh Hasina survived because she was out of the country. God has kept Sheikh Hasina alive to fulfil the dream of the father of the nation. When she returned to the country, there was hope in the minds of the common people. Attempts have been made to kill her 99 times since she returned to the country. She miraculously survived each time. In 2004, during the then Jamaat-BNP four-party coalition government, a grenade attack was carried out on her with the government’s direct support.

Militants appeared in the country with the help of the government during the four-party coalition government. Afghan returnee militants formed numerous terror organisations in the country, such as Ansarullah Bangla Team, and JMB.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, with her son Sajeeb Wazed and daughter Saima Wazed, taking selfie at the recently built Padma Bridge. (Photo Awami League)

Since 2008, after Sheikh Hasina assumed power, the face of the country has changed. First, she took the initiative of de-militancy, her policy of zero tolerance to suppress militancy. The development of the country started happening. The country’s GDP continues to grow. While developing countries are struggling, Bangladesh’s GDP is 6.7%. Its diplomatic relations with every country in the world are strengthened. When she overcame all obstacles and took up development projects and mega projects one after the other, the opposition continued to spread negative stories.

Currently, the foreign exchange reserves are more than $40 billion. The government has launched several welfare schemes. There are special schemes to provide food for the poor; pensions for widows and old age people. To spread the light of education, books are distributed free of cost from primary to secondary school on the first day of the year. So that no one remains homeless and sheltered, paved houses with land are introduced across the country. This year two lakh families were given houses in the country. Women are enjoying equal rights in every sector under this special project of empowering women. The country continues to develop even during Covid-19.

Sheikh Hasina has ensured the freedom of the press. She guaranteed 100% electricity in the country. When Pakistan and Sri Lanka withered under the pressure of global economic conditions, Bangladesh ensure normalcy at gas stations. The foreign trade broke records.

Pic credits @MoPEMR

Bangladesh’s exports increased by more than 34% to $52.08 billion in the fiscal year 2021–2022 (July 2021-June 2022). The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), which is part of the Ministry of Commerce, revealed that Bangladesh had the greatest export earnings for the fiscal year 2021–2022, with strong income growth in the last months. “In the 2021-22 fiscal year, exports reached $52,082.66 million, setting a new record,” said the EPB.

 The nation’s entire export earnings in the previous fiscal year exceeded the objective of $43.50 billion with June’s export earnings of $4.91 billion, an increase of 37.19% over the same month a year prior. In the fiscal year 2020–21 (July 2020–June 2021), Bangladesh’s export revenue was estimated at $38.76 billion. As usual, the demand for ready-made clothing was mostly responsible for the growth in the 2021–22 fiscal year.

When the country is witnessing Sheikh Hasina overcoming all the obstacles and launching new development programs after another, some anti-national elements are engaged in misinformation. Bangladeshis are mature enough to ignore these negative campaigns against one of the most powerful politicians in the subcontinent. Bangladesh is back on track to becoming an Asian giant and nothing can stop that progress.

ALSO READ: The Golden Era of Bangladesh

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Hasina opens Padma Bridge

While lauding the courage of the nation, Prime Minister Hasina said the project is a symbol of a Bangladesh’s pride, honour and ability, report Sumi Khan

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday inaugurated the Padma Bridge and said that the mega government-funded project belonged to the people of the nation.

Padma Bridge (Photo Twitter@RussEmbDhaka)

In a short speech before the inauguration, Hasina said: “I have no complaints against anyone, but I reckon those who opposed the Padma Bridge construction plan and called it a ‘pipe dream’ lack self-confidence. I hope this bridge will boost their confidence, whereas we have built ourselves.”

While lauding the courage of the nation, she said the project is a symbol of a Bangladesh’s pride, honour and ability.

“People on the south of Padma river have been neglected, but they won’t be neglected anymore,” she said, adding that a section of the Metro Rail in Dhaka and the tunnel under Karnaphuli river in Chittagong will be opened within this year.

“This bridge is not just bricks, cement, iron, and concrete… This bridge is our pride, a symbol of our capacity, our strength, our dignity. This bridge belongs to the people of Bangladesh.”

She expressed deep gratitude to the people involved with the construction, including the project authority, consultants, contractors, workers, and army personnel who provided security.

PM Sheikh Hasina pays the first toll at Padma Bridge toll plaza.

The Prime Minister further said that there was no compromise with regards to the quality of the Padma Bridge construction.

“It was built maintaining the highest standards,” she added.

Hasina also released a Tk 100 note to commemorate the occasion.

The Chinese contractor of the Padma Bridge also presented a replica of Hasina.

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Hasina pays tributes on Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day

Prime Minister Hasina paid homage by placing wreaths at the portrait of her father at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka, after which she stood in silence for a while, reports Sumi Khan

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday paid tributes on the 50th anniversary of Homecoming Day, which marks Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s return to the country in 1972 after spending months in a Pakistan jail.

She paid homage by placing wreaths at the portrait of her father at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka, after which she stood in silence for a while.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana.

Following his return to Bangladesh, Rahman’s first statement to the media was: “Gentlemen, as you can see, I am alive and well.”

He was abducted by the Pakistan Army in the early hours of March 26, 1971 at the onset of Operation Searchlight, in an attempt to defeat Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.

But Rahman’s foresight in delegating responsibilities to his trusted deputies and faith in the people ensured they would not only wage one of the fiercest wars for independence, but also ensure victory.

After Bangabandhu was released on January 8, 1972, he wished to return to Dhaka immediately. But as Pakistani aircraft were banned in Indian airspace, Pakistan’s new President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who had taken over from a disgraced General Yahya Khan, ordered that Rahman fly to Tehran or another ‘neutral’ location, not India.

50 years of Bangabondhu’s homecoming day-Hasina paid homage.

He then decided to fly to London, where he addressed the world media in a sensational meet-and-greet at the Claridge’s Hotel.

After a brief stopover in Delhi to thank then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her assistance to the Bangladesh cause throughout the Liberation War, he finally returned home, where millions of people lined up the streets of Dhaka to welcome him.

Upon his return, Bangabandhu delivered a speech on January 10 at the Race Course (now Suhrawardy Udyan) outlining the principles upon which Bangladesh would function as a sovereign state.

“My Bangladesh is independent today, my life’s desire has been fulfilled today, people of my Bengal have been liberated today. My Bengal will remain free.

“In my state, in this Bangladesh, there will be a socialist system. There will be democracy in this Bangladesh. Bangladesh will be a secular state.

“Together we will build a new and prosperous Bengal. The people of Bengal will be happy again, live life merrily and breathe freely in an open atmosphere,” he had said.

The historic day will be observed across the country, but with Covid-19 protocols.

The ruling Awami League has arranged various programs.

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