The Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington D.C. has observed the historic 7th March, commemorating Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's iconic speech that inspired Bengalees to fight and win the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
The day's programme started with the formal hoisting of the National Flag on the Embassy premises on Monday.
Later, Embassy officials placed a floral wreath at the bust of the Father of the Nation at the Bangabandhu Corner of the Embassy.
After laying the wreath, they stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the great leader, said a media release on Tuesday.
A discussion session on the significance of the day was organized at the Bangabandhu Auditorium of the Embassy.
The messages issued by President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on this occasion were read out.
Special prayers were offered, seeking divine blessings for eternal peace of the departed soul of Bangabandhu as well as Bangladesh's continuous peace and prosperity.
Ambassador M Shahidul Islam, in his speech, paid the deepest homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of the historic 7th March.
On this day, he said, Bangabandhu delivered the momentous speech at the then Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka, effectively declaring the War of Independence.
In his fiery speech, Bangabandhu directed the freedom-loving Bengalees for waging a decisive struggle against the Pakistani occupation forces, Ambassador Islam said.
The historic speech has been included in the Memory of the World International Register, a list of the world's important documentary heritage maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), he said.
"Under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we all should work tirelessly to build a poverty-and-hunger-free, peaceful, progressive 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by Bangabandhu," the Ambassador said.