Last March 28 (Tuesday) at 6 pm local time, Bangladesh High Commission Canberra, celebrated the great Independence Day of Bangladesh at the local Hyatt Hotel. Heads of all diplomatic missions in Canberra, federal and state ministers, MPs, university teachers, professionals, guests from different states participated in the event.
Allama Siddiqui, the newly appointed Honorable High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Canberra presided. Allama Siddiqui and Mrs. Rasna Farooq Siddiqui welcomed the guests on the occasion.
The program started with the national anthems of Australia and Bangladesh. Honorable High Commissioner Allama Siddiqui and Australia’s Chief Staff Protocol Officer Mr. Ian McConville wished everyone a happy life as per Australian national rules.
The Honorable Ambassador thanked the guests in his welcome speech. He expressed deep sorrow for the martyrs in the war of independence and respectfully remembered the father of the Bengali nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the independence of Bangladesh.
He congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, wishing the souls of all the martyrs, and said that Sheikh Hasina is doing a wonderful job for her country. It was a very difficult task to raise a less developed country to a middle-income country in such a short period of time. Sheikh Hasina has shown it through her honesty and words.
Chancery Chief Tahleel Dilwar Moon performed the function. In his speech, he highlighted Bangladesh’s remarkable progress in every global indicator, especially poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment, climate change, child mortality. He also said that through domestic production, export earnings, foreign remittances, Bangladesh has been promoted from the list of poor countries to middle income country and turned into a developing country. Then two documentaries on the development of Bangladesh were screened.
Assistant Minister for Defense and Assistant Minister for Veteran Affairs Honorable Matt Thiselthwaite, Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles, Chief Staff Protocol Mr. Ian McConville, Federal Member for Parramatta Mr. Andrew Charlton and others spoke among the invited guests.
Matt Thistlethwaite began his speech by thanking the organizers. He recalled Bangabandhu’s March 7, 1971 speech in which he enlivened a gathering of millions of people with his slogan of independence. He said Australia was the first to recognize Bangladesh in the outside world.
He also respectfully remembered the contribution of Mr. Jim Allen, the Australian Honorable Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh at that time.
Then the local children performed two dances with country songs. All the arriving guests are treated to dinner.
