National
Nation Celebrates Buddha Purnima, President, PM Extend Greetings to Buddhist Community
Buddha Purnima, the most significant religious festival for the Buddhist community, is being observed today across the country with great enthusiasm.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extended their greetings to the Buddhist community and all citizens in separate messages on this auspicious occasion.
President Shahabuddin highlighted that Buddha Purnima commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and great passing away (Mahaparinirvana) of Gautama Buddha. He emphasized that Buddha dedicated his life to the welfare of humanity, advocating for a peaceful and prosperous world. The President noted that Buddha’s teachings of equity and friendship are crucial for establishing global peace and harmony.
He remarked that the ideals and philosophy of Buddha are vital for fostering peace in society, eliminating unrest and intolerance, and preventing moral degradation. He praised Bangladesh as a country of communal harmony where people of all religions celebrate their festivals with grandeur, reflecting a longstanding tradition of mutual respect and unity.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, stated that Gautama Buddha preached non-violence, friendship, and compassion, overcoming greed, hatred, and lust for the welfare of mankind. She stressed the importance of adhering to Buddha’s teachings in today’s world to curb violence, uphold values, and build a peaceful society.
The Prime Minister noted that people of all religions in Bangladesh have practiced their faiths in a festive, free, and undisturbed environment for ages. She affirmed that the constitution guarantees equal rights for all religions and castes, underscoring the belief that “Religion is for individuals while festivals are for all.”
She reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the dignity and secure lives of all communities, highlighting the Buddhist community’s active participation in the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister expressed hope that everyone would contribute to making Bangladesh a peaceful country by embracing Buddha’s ideals.
The day is observed as a public holiday. On this occasion, newspapers will publish articles, while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television (BTV), and private TV channels will broadcast special programs highlighting the significance of the day.
Celebrations include the lighting of lamps, hoisting of national and religious flags atop monasteries, and chanting sacred verses from the Tripitaka. Buddhist devotees are expected to offer various gifts, including fruits, flowers, and candles, to statues of Lord Buddha throughout the day.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
