Seoul, 10 January 2021:

The Bangladesh Embassy in Seoul celebrated the historical Homecoming Day of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. To mark the occasion, a landmark day in the history of Bangladesh, the Embassy arranged an online discussion session. Prior to the discussion session, the Embassy screened the messages of the Hon’ble President and the Hon’ble Prime Minister issued on the occasion and screened a documentary on the Homecoming of the Father of the Nation.

The discussion session was participated by the Lt. Col. (Retd.) QuaziSajjad Ali Zahir, BirProtik, SwadhinataPadak Awardee, a veteran from the Bangladesh Army and a researcher on the Liberation War as the keynote  speaker. Two Bangladeshi Assistant Professors in the Republic of Korea namely Mr. Keshab Kumar Adhikary, PhD and Mr. NurAlam, PhD also took part in the discussion session.

The keynote speaker Lt. Col. (Retd.) QuaziSajjad Ali Zahir, BirProtik, SwadhinataPadak Awardee provided a detailed information on the chronological history of Bangabandhu, Bangabandhu’s imprisonment in Pakistan and the background events related to his historic homecoming. He also shared his personal enriched experience on Bangabandhu’s historic homecoming day.

The discussant Mr. Keshab Kumar Adhikary, PhD, Assistant Professor of the Ghent University Global Campus, in his speech, echoed the realization of the Father of the Nation regarding his homecoming as a ‘journey from the darkness to light”. He emphasized on the importance of education and the aspiration of the nation to overcome the existing backwardness of the country and to realize Bangabandhu’s dream.

In his speech, Mr. NurAlam, PhD, Assistant Professor of the Kyungdong University Global Campus highlighted the life and works of the Father of the Nation. He particularly pointed out the issue of demanding apology from Pakistan for 1971 genocide in Bangladesh.

Ambassador Abida Islam, in her speech, paid rich tribute to the memory of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the martyrs whose supreme sacrifice brought the independence of the country. She highlighted on the triumphant return of the Father of the Nation amidst his people and his meeting with the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and British Prime Minister on his way to his independent country. Ambassador Islam particularly mentioned about the active role of the Father of the Nation in forming the principles of diplomacy and garnering international support for the newly founded Bangladesh.

She, then, put forward the remarkable developments of Bangladesh in under the able leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina particularly in the areas of –economy, women empowerment, poverty alleviation, human development index etc. She urged all home and abroad to work diligently for the nation in graduating into and obtaining the status of a developed country by 2041.