Scouts Day to be observed today

The 52nd Bangladesh Scouts Day will be observed with the theme "Smart Scouting, Smart Citizen" throughout the country today (Monday), reports UNB.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of the day, greeting all members of Scouts.

In his message, the President said scouting has immense importance as a co-curricular activity alongside formal education. "Scouting helps children and adolescents become good citizens by teaching with joy," he said.

Mohammed Shahabuddin said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced 'Vision 2041' to make Bangladesh a developed-prosperous-smart scouting country by 2041.

To achieve this goal, now it is essential to build the youths as honest, ideal, smart citizens through smart scouting, he said.

The president called upon scout leaders to play more effective role in transforming the country into a developed-prosperous-smart Bangladesh by further expanding and accelerating the scout movement.

The prime minister expressed the hope that every member of Bangladesh Scouts would play an important role in building a hunger-poverty-free, developed-prosperous 'Golden Bangladesh' as dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which means a knowledge-based Smart Bangladesh.

She said the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave official recognition to Bangladesh Scouts on September 11, 1972 through promulgation of an ordinance.

As a result of his inspiration and initiative, Bangladesh Scouts became the 105th country to become a member of the World Scout Organization on June 1, 1974, said Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu.

Focusing on the Awami League government's steps to develop and expand scouting, the PM assured that her government would continue extending support to develop the scouting.

The Prime Minister wished for the overall success of Bangladesh Scouts Day.