Nation celebrates Bangabandhu's birthday

The nation celebrated on Saturday the 99th birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through extensive programmes, fanfare and gaiety, reports BSS.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the morning paid rich tributes to the Father of the Nation, heralding the nationwide programmes on the occasion of the 99th birthday of the great leader.
The premier paid the homage by placing a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at historic 32 Dhanmondi Road in the capital.
After laying the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respects to the memory of the Father of the Nation.
Cabinet members, PM's advisers, parliament members and senior leaders of Bangladesh Awami League were present.
Later, flanked by the central leaders, Sheikh Hasina laid another wreath as the president of the Awami League at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of the party.
Senior Awami League leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Begum Matia Chowdhury, Obaidul Quader, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Satish Chandra Roy, LGRD Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam, Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Jatiya Sangsad Chief Whip ASM Feroze, among others, were present.
Later, Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokan, leaders of associate bodies of Awami League and other sociocultural organisations placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also laid wreaths at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj in the morning.
Later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended a children's rally, book fair and cultural event held on the premises of Bangabandhu Mausoleum.
Like previous years, the day was also observed as the National Children's Day as Bangabandhu liked to spend time with children on his birthday.
Bangabandhu Bhaban turned into a human sea as thousands people thronged Dhanmondi-32 in the capital and paid rich tributes to the Father of the Nation on his birthday.
The ruling Awami League (AL) and its associate bodies chalked out different programmes in observance of the day.
The programmes included hoisting of the national and party flags atop of their offices and placing of wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road-32 in the capital.
The day was a public holiday.
AL's associate and likeminded bodies and other socio-cultural professional organisations including Awami Jubo League, Awami Swechchhasebak League, Jatiya Sramik League, Mahila Awami League, Juba Mahila League, Krishak League and Chhatra League also drew up extensive programmes to mark the day.
On this day in 1920, Bangabandhu, the vivacious leader of the Bangalee nation, the architect of independent Bangladesh and the greatest Bangalee of all time, was born in a respectable Muslim family in Tungipara village of Gopalganj sub-division, now district.
The University of Dhaka celebrated the 99th birthday of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children's Day in a befitting manner.
Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the university Professor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman inaugurated the festivity through cutting a cake.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) launched a weeklong "Clean Dhaka Campaign" on Saturday marking the birthday of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.