March 26th is the Independence Day of Bangladesh. On the occasion of our great Independence and National Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to my fellow countrymen living at home and abroad.
On this historic day, I recall with profound respect father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed independence on March 26, 1971.
Under his able leadership, we achieved our independence through a nine-month long armed struggle.
Today, I pay my deep tributes to the martyrs and valiant sons of the soil, who made the supreme sacrifices in the war of liberation.
I also recall with deep reverence our four national leaders, valiant freedom-fighters, organizers, supporters and people from all walks of life for their unmatched valor, immense contributions and courageous role that accelerated the achievement of our victory.
I remember with deep respect our foreign friends who extended their wholehearted support directly and indirectly in our war of liberation in 1971.
They sheltered millions of refugees who fled from our country during war.
The contributions of all would be written in golden letters in the history of our independence forever.
We have achieved our hard-earned independence through huge sacrifices.
Bangabandhu always cherished a dream of building a happy and prosperous country along with achieving political independence.
Keeping that in mind, the present government has been rendering untiring efforts in materializing the dream of Bangabandhu.
The growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) is increasing constantly. Per capita income is increasing and the rate of poverty is decreasing.
Our country has attained food-sufficiency owing to the huge development in agriculture. The pace of advancement in the sector of empowerment of women, social safety net etc. is going on. Now the Padma Bridge is not a dream, it is a reality. Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is waiting to be launched into the space.
Bangladesh is elevated from least developed country (LDC) to the developing nation in context of three index of being a developing country. As a nation, it is a great achievement for us.
Bangladesh is now being branded as a role model of development in the outside world. In pursuing our diplomatic objectives, the government has been consistent in upholding the principle of “Friendship to all, malice toward none” as enunciated by father of the nation.
Our achievement in international arena is also commendable.
Our expatriate Bangladeshis have also been making significant contributions to our national economy through sending their hard-earned remittances.
Nevertheless, we have to go a long way for achieving the desired goals of independence. We must ensure good governance, social justice, transparency and accountability to make the development people oriented and sustainable.
Self-restraint and showing respect to others’ opinion are important for thriving and institutionalization of democracy.
Therefore, we have to maintain patience, self-restraint, and forbearance in our national life. We must show respect to others’ opinion.
National Parliament would be the center of hopes and aspirations of the people. For this, the ruling party as well as the opposition would have to play constructive role. People of Bangladesh are always peace loving. They do not support any type of violence including militancy and terrorism.
Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamt of transforming Bangladesh into “Sonar Bangla.”
The present government has set “Vision 2021” and `Vision 2041’ to materialize Bangabandhu’s dream into reality. Concerted efforts are imperative from all to implement those initiatives.
Imbued with the spirit of war of liberation and democratic values, let us work together irrespective of caste, creed and party opinion to make our hard-earned independence more meaningful. Let this be the pledge of our Independence and National Day.
Khoda Hafez, May Bangladesh Live Forever.
Md. Abdul Hamid
President of Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Role model for development
Bangladesh: Role model for development
Old Delhi iftars revive Mughal heritage, one course at a time
- Dastarkhwan-e-Jahaanuma iftars have been held in Old Delhi since 2017
- Muslim and non-Muslim participants arrive from across India and abroad
NEW DELHI: On a rooftop in Delhi’s historic walled city, guests from across India sit on cushions around a low table overlooking Jama Masjid, waiting for its sunset call to prayer — the signal to start a special iftar that will take them back four centuries, to the Mughal era, if only for a while.
Mughals ruled the Indian subcontinent between the 16th and 19th centuries. Originally from Central Asia, they carried traditions borrowed from Arabs, Persians and Ottomans, which they merged with the various local Indian styles — a fusion that marked the global revival of Islamic architecture and culture.
Jama Masjid is one of the most iconic examples of the Mughal style — a scenic background to the curated iftars that bring 40 to 50 people from across India to share a meal, knowledge and experience.
“People getting together from different walks of life, different parts of the country, different religions, different cultures coming together — it was absolutely and completely amazing,” said Arvind Sirohi, who took part in the event with his wife.
“Lovely storytelling, amazing food, and end of the day, right next to Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. The ambience, the environment, the atmosphere came together so beautifully.”
The community-led iftar experience is called Dastarkhwan-e-Jahaanuma — from Urdu words meaning a “spread of food” and “showing the world.”
For Veena Sirohi, it did exactly what the name promised by bringing together people from different communities, different parts of India, and abroad.
“I think that’s a great way of synthesizing different cultures, bringing people together, bringing the human aspect of what we all are ... we are actually all one,” she told Arab News.
“And we had some wonderful comperes who told us about … the history of Ramadan, what goes behind it, how the food is curated, and how each and every item has a specific place in the menu.”
Served in gilded bowls and plates from traditional Indian crockery, with rose petals dotting the dastarkhwan cloth, the dishes were some of the festive Ramadan delicacies, offering a taste of Mughal culinary heritage.
Among them was mutanjan, or fragrant rice cooked with ghee, sugar, saffron, cardamom, and studded with nuts, which for many Indian Muslims is traditionally the first dish to break the fast.
It was followed by shabde, a rich, slow-cooked aromatic meat stew or the Delhi biryani — a fragrant, mildly spiced saffron rice and meat dish, where marinated chicken or mutton is layered with basmati rice and cooked slowly.
The hearty feast closed with nihari, a hearty stew simmered overnight with spices and bone marrow, which emerged in the 18th century and was originally eaten by Mughal royals for breakfast.
“These are the traditional dishes which are not usually available in the market, but are specially prepared by the bawarchees (cooks) of Old Delhi. Some of the dishes are occasional dishes,” said Abu Sufiyan Khan, the founder of Tales of City, the cultural experience company that has been curating Dastarkhwan-e-Jahaanuma since 2017.
The special iftars are hosted once a week throughout the fasting month, usually on weekends. There are variations in dishes served as they come from different kitchens, as Tales of City collaborates with various local artisans and cooks.
“We are curating this with different experts and every time the menu changes,” Khan said.
“We bring all these dishes onto a single dastarkhwan, and we share this meal with the people coming from all over India to break bread together in the holy month of Ramadan, know each other, learn about each other’s culture, and create a dialogue space where we can have more meaningful conversations and an opportunity to get to know each other.”
Those who take part, like Ayandrali Dutta, a food critic, appreciate everything about the experience, especially as it takes place in Old Delhi, where the vibe is always “jovial, lively, in all positive ways” during Ramadan.
“You get to meet interesting people, you get to hear interesting stories ... It’s a great initiative to show what Ramadan is, what kind of food is eaten, talk about the cultures between Lucknow and Delhi and other parts of the country. And it just brings a lot of happiness,” she said.
“I loved it. My heart is happy, my belly is full. Nothing else I can ask for.”
