The cultural festivities also mark the Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Architect of Bangladesh’s Independence and Father of the Nation who envisioned an exploitation free prosperous Bangladesh
Bangladesh Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates has recently held a grand cultural festival to celebrate the joint Silver Jubilee of Bangladesh and the UAE – both emerging as free nations in December 1971, as well as the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Supported by the Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the cultural festival was participated by more than 50 actors and performers while attended by more than 15,000 people at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Attended by a number of dignitaries and members of the UAE’s royal families including Her Highness Princess Sheikha Futtaim bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Bahrain’s Prince Sheikh Khalifa bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and Governor of Malaysia’s Malacca State Tun Seri Dr Haji Mohammed Ali Mohammed Rustom.
The event was also graced with the presence of the Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE Mohammad Abu Zafar, four Secretaries of the Government of Bangladesh and 60 dignitaries including leading industrialists who came from Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh and the UAE are both bound by culture, religious and moral values. People have been fortunate to be led by visionary leadership and as a result, both the countries have been growing,” BM Jamal Hossain, Consul General of Bangladesh, who played a key role in personally supervising the celebrations, said.
“I would like to congratulate the people of both Bangladesh and the UAE on the success of the last 50 years and we pledge to work for shared vision for the next 50 years and beyond. The grand cultural festival has been organised to pay our deep respect to the Government and the people of the UAE who created a second home for our citizens as well as the Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation who continuously inspires us to contribute to our nation.
“The peace-loving Bangladeshi nationals will continue to work for the development of the UAE economy and we will forge greater partnership with the UAE in the years to come.”
The grand cultural programme started with an excellently choreographed dance performed by Bangladeshi troupe led by famous performer Sadia Islam Mou, combining a UAE and a Bangladeshi themed song that captivated the audience.
The UAE Federation was formed on December 2, 1971 with a historic agreement at the Union House in Dubai, while Bangladesh gained its full freedom 14 days later, on December 16, 1971, when the occupying forces surrendered arms to joint Indo-Bangladesh forces in Dhaka – marking a new beginning in the country’s march towards development and progress.
Both Bangladesh and the UAE have a lot of commonalities and both the countries are bound together by religious tolerance, visionary leadership and openness.
While Bangladesh’s foundation was laid by the Architect of Independence and the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the UAE’s foundation was laid by the visionary leader HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who took the bold decision to recognize Bangladesh as an independent country way back in 1974 that paved the way for a strong bilateral relationship.
The historic visit by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the UAE in 1974 had ushered in a new era in the bilateral relationship that opened the UAE’s development market for Bangladesh’s human resources. Today, more than 1 million Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) live, work and run businesses in the UAE, contributing to the economies of the UAE and Bangladesh.
This was further cemented by repeated visits by Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the UAE to take the partnership to the next level.
Bangladeshi expatriates currently own more than 75,000 businesses in the UAE employing more than 200,000 professionals and workers. NRBs remit more than US$2.5 billion (Dh9.1 billion) to Bangladesh every year.
The key performer, Mumtaz Begum MP dedicated her performance to the NRBs who contribute handsomely to the UAE and Bangladeshi economy – a sentiment echoed by all the key performers including Ferdous – a famous hero of Bangladeshi film industry.
The Golden Jubilee celebrations also featured artistes from the West Bengal state of India performing on stage – reflecting the strong support provided by Indian Government, especially the Government of West Bengal in the War of Independence.