He said that this consciousness was active in the Bengali New Year that Bangabandhu celebrated with his fellow prisoners while he was in prison.
The President urged everyone to adopt the flame of this liberal spirit, Bangabandhu’s philosophy of statehood, the founding ideals of Bangladesh and the spirit of the state-language, to build a happy and prosperous Smart Bangladesh free from hunger and poverty.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message said that the first Baisakh is a day of harmony and great reunion of Bengalis.
The Prime Minister called upon all, irrespective of religion and caste, to forget the miseries and failures of the past year and wake up with new joy.
Sheikh Hasina said that the identity and roots of Bengalis can be found through its celebration, adding that the first Baishakh is a reflection of Bengalis.
The prime minister said that during the Pakistan period, the colonial power wanted to destroy Bengali tradition, adding that Bengalis resisted this with the strength of their self-identity and their culture.
Bengalis embraced that power and joined the struggle for liberation, she continued.