New Year’s resolution is to build a better Bangladesh, says Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent her Bangla New Year’s greetings to Bangladeshis living at home and abroad.

“Let the new year bring us success so that we can realise the ‘Shonar Bangla’ [‘Golden Bangladesh’] dreamt of by the Father of the Nation,” she said after exchanging new year’s greetings with the party activists at the Ganabhaban on the first day of the Bangla new year.

Music and entertainment welcomed the new year at the prime minister’s official residence on Saturday.

The prime minister quoted from the speeches of her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, saying: “We are Bangalees, Bangla is our nation, Bangla is our language. Our Bangladesh is a state based on language. We speak in Bangla, think in Bangla, laugh in Bangla and cry in Bangla.”

The prime minister said that she was resolved to translate the dream of her father into reality.

“We will build the country The Father of the Nation envisioned - a Bangladesh without hunger and without poverty. This is my new year’s resolution.”

Hasina called on everyone to be vigilant and ensure that no group that would hurt the Bangla language or Bangla culture ever came to power.

“Let no evil power that aims to harm our heritage, our language, our culture or our existence come to power.”

The prime minister spoke of the Bangla New Year 1400 celebrations, which she said the then-ruling BNP had attempted to block. A national committee had been formed, chaired by poet Sufia Kamal, to organise the new year celebration, she said.

The BNP had tried to halt the celebrations and bring the new year under a ‘shroud of religion’, Hasina said.

“Even we could not believe that such obstacles would come in the year 1400. The main programme was to be held at Suhrawardy Udyan and Khaleda Zia said we could not enter the grounds. But Bangalees have never backed down from an obstacle. We overcame them and, alongside poet Sufia Kamal, entered Suhrawardy Udyan and held the event.”

“They were trying to turn Bangladesh into something completely different,” Hasina reminisced. “These people, who came to power illegally, tried to rebuild Bangladesh in their image.”

“They do not understand Rabindranath. They do not understand Nazrul Islam. They only have love for Pakistan,” she said, alluding to the BNP.

The prime minister spoke of the all-embracing nature of Pahela Baishakh.

“We all celebrate this festival together, regardless of language or creed. The Bangla New Year is for Bangalees. Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim – everyone celebrates equally. It was part of our combined heritage to finish off last year’s calculations and begin business anew; to open our fresh, new ledgers and set off on a new journey.”

The prime minister reminded the audience of the Pahela Baishakh allowance that was started last year, saying that now ‘everyone’ in Bangladesh could celebrate the holiday.

Central Awami League leaders greeted the prime minister and presented her with flowers. A cultural programme was then put on for the guests.

Traditional Bangladeshi sweets and refreshments were available at the event.