President Hamid hosts Bangabhaban reception to celebrate Independence Day

The green lawn of the Bangabhaban becomes lively with guests from all walks of life including the prime minister as President Md Abdul Hamid hosts a reception on the occasion of 46th Independence Day.

President Hamid hosted the head of the government, politicians, diplomats, injured freedom fighters, families of the Birshreshthas, artists, cultural personalities and the commoners at the Bangabhaban on Sunday.

A national flag made of green leaves gave a different touch to the programme where popular artists, children and an army band performed.

President Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina exchanged greetings with the guests at the programme.

The president and his wife Rashida Khanam arrived in the lawn sometime after the prime minister came to the Bangabhaban in the afternoon.

The national anthem was sung when the president and his wife took the stage. The president and the prime minister exchanged greetings afterwards. They later exchanged greetings with the families of the Birshreshthas and wounded freedom fighters.

They also enquired about the health condition of the wounded freedom fighters and pledged them all sorts of help.

Hamid and Hasina then cut a cake at the VVIP enclosure to mark the Independence Day and National Day.

They later exchanged greetings with the ministers, foreign ambassadors and guests, Supreme Court judges, MPs, editors, the chiefs of the three forces, top army and civil officials, university vice-chancellors and the other guests.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury sat beside the prime minister at the programme.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Railways Minister Mazibul Hoque, and Food Minister Qamrul Islam attended the programme.

The others included Prime Minister’s Advisors Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and Gowher Rizvi, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque, Whip Shahab Uddin, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, former Supreme Court judge Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury, and economist Rehman Sobhan.

Former president of the country and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh chief AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury sat with President Hamid and Prime Minister Hasina at the VVIP enclosure.

However, no BNP leader came to the programme, but Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, who announced to quit politics when he was the party’s vice-chairman two years ago, attended the reception.

CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim, Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua, National Democratic Front Chairman Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu, and Jatiya Party MPs Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu and Fakhrul Imam were also present.

Among the foreign diplomats, US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat, British High Commissioner Alison Blake, Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Pakistani High Commissioner Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui came to the Bangabhaban.

Singers Shaheen Samad, Khurshid Alam, SI Tutul, Rajeeb, Anupama Mukti and Debalina performed at the programme.