National
President, PM Sheikh Hasina, Bhutanese King Honor Liberation War Martyrs on 54th Independence Day
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid heartfelt tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by laying wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial on the outskirts of the capital early this morning, marking the 54th Independence and National Day.
Accompanying them, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, currently on a four-day official visit to Bangladesh at the special invitation of President Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the 54th Independence Day celebrations, also honored the Liberation War heroes by placing a wreath at 5:57 am.
In a solemn ceremony, the President led by placing the first wreath at the memorial altar around 5:56 am, followed by the Prime Minister and then the Bhutanese King.
Bhutan holds a significant place in Bangladesh’s history as the first country to recognize its independence on December 6, 1971. After 11 years, King Wangchuck, accompanied by his wife, visited Dhaka to partake in Bangladesh’s Independence Day festivities.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, a moment of profound silence was observed by the President, the Prime Minister, and the Bhutanese King as a mark of respect for the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971. Meanwhile, a smartly turned-out contingent from the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force rendered a state salute, accompanied by the solemn sound of bugles playing the last post.
Following the ceremony, the Head of State, the Head of Government, and the Bhutanese King and Queen Jetsun Pema penned their respects in the visitors’ book placed on the memorial premises.
Flanked by her party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the Bangladesh Awami League, paid glowing tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by laying another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of her party.
A diverse assembly including representatives from the parliament, the judiciary, ministers, advisers, senior politicians, leaders of the AL-led 14-party alliance, members of parliament, valiant freedom fighters, chiefs of the armed forces, diplomats, representatives of different development partners, and high-ranking civil and military officials gathered to honor the occasion.
Each year, March 26 serves as a poignant reminder of one of history’s darkest episodes, marking a nine-month bloody struggle that began on the night of March 25, 1971, culminating in the long-awaited independence on December 16 of the same year, attained at a great cost.
In response to the military crackdown by the then Pakistan occupation force, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh through the East Pakistan Rifles wireless at 00:30 hours on March 26, 1971, from his historic residence at Road-32 in Dhanmondi.
This day holds profound significance and sentiment for the Bengali Nation, commemorating its hard-fought journey towards freedom and sovereignty.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued forecasts of rain or thundershowers for Dhaka, Rangpur, and five other divisions, commencing from 9 am today and extending over the next 24 hours. This weather forecast encompasses Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, and Sylhet divisions, where accompanying gusty or squally winds are anticipated during the rainfall. Additionally, Chattogram division is expected to experience some activity, albeit in fewer places, with the potential for hail in isolated areas.
The BMD bulletin highlights that various areas within these seven divisions may witness significant thunderstorm activity, accompanied by temporary gusty or squally winds, with isolated occurrences of hail.
Temperature levels across the nation are projected to remain consistent, both during daytime and at night. Over the past 24-hour period, Rajshahi recorded the highest temperature in the country at 34.7 degrees Celsius, while Sreemangal, Moulvibazar, experienced the lowest temperature at 21.2 degrees Celsius.
Dhaka witnessed the most substantial rainfall, measuring up to 87mm. Residents in the affected divisions are advised to prepare for adverse weather conditions and stay informed about further forecasts from the BMD.
The Jashore Education Board has achieved the highest pass rate of 92.32% among the nine boards in the 2024 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination, according to official data.
Conversely, Sylhet remained at the bottom with a pass rate of 73.35%, continuing its trend from last year when it also recorded the lowest pass rate of 76.06%.
Data from the education board website reveals that the Dhaka board secured a pass rate of 83.92%, while Rajshahi board achieved 89.25%, Cumilla board 79.20%, Barishal board 89.13%, Chattogram board 82.80%, Dinajpur board 78.40%, and Mymensingh board 84.97%.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the results of this year’s SSC and equivalent examinations. Students have been able to access their results through the official website.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the 2024 Hajj program (1445 hijri) in Ashkona, the capital, today, May 8th.
Subsequently, she exchanged pleasantries with the Hajj pilgrims at the Ashkona Hajj camp.
The maiden Hajj flight is set to depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Saudi Arabia on Thursday (May 9).
Dedicated Hajj flights will also operate from Chattogram and Sylhet airports, landing at Jeddah and Medina airports.
This year, 85,257 Bangladeshi pilgrims are expected to undertake the holy journey. Among them, 4,562 will be under government management, while 80,695 will be managed privately.
The Hajj is tentatively scheduled for June 15th, contingent upon the moon sighting.
In attendance were Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqur Rahman, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Religious Affairs Ministry Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan, and president of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) Shahadat Hossain Taslim.
Religious Affairs Minister Md Faridul Haque Khan chaired the inaugural function, while Religious Affairs Secretary Md A Hamid Zamadder delivered the welcome address.
