Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard Thursday paid a farewell call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban. During the meeting, the head of the state sought continuous cooperation from Switzerland in the economic development and expansion of trade and commerce in Bangladesh, President's Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin told UNB. Referring to the effects of climate change, Hamid said Bangladesh and Switzerland would work together to this end. About the Rohingya repatriation issue, he said the Rohingyas are getting various support from different donor countries and agencies, but the peaceful repatriation of these people remains a major challenge. The president sought continued cooperation from Switzerland to end the crisis. The outgoing ambassador lauded the unprecedented development of Bangladesh in different sectors, including trade expansion and women's empowerment. The envoy thanked the president for his overall cooperation during her tenure in Bangladesh. Read more: Switzerland will continue to be a reliable partner for Bangladesh: Nathalie Chuard  

Chiefs of the three services on Monday paid a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on the occasion of Armed Forces Day. Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan met the President at 7:30 pm, President's Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin briefed the reporters. Read: Armed Forces Day: President pays tributes to martyrs He said the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force briefed the President about various activities of their respective forces during the meeting. President Hamid said that the members of the armed forces have brought honour to the country through their activities at the national and international levels. President hoped that the members of the armed forces will be able to contribute more to the development of the country in the future by increasing their professional skills.

President Abdul Hamid on Monday expressed his condolences to the families, friends and relatives of the victims who died in a stampede at Seoul in South Korea during the Halloween celebration on October 29. In a message, the President said, "I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic loss of many lives in the stampede."  He conveyed his deepest condolences to the President of South Korea Yon Suk Yeol and wished a speedy recovery of the injured.

President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday asked everyone to be vigilant so that no individual or group can use religion to mislead people to pursue their interests. He said this while exchanging greetings with Hindu leaders and distinguished personalities at Bangabhaban in Dhaka Wednesday on the occasion of Durga Puja. "Apart from a few minor incidents and some disruptions due to an unexpected power blackout yesterday, as far as I know, Durga Puja is being celebrated in a very festive manner this year," he said. "We must celebrate Durga Puja, but at the same time, we must also remember that our neighbours, friends and relatives should not be deprived of the joy of this festival," he added. Read: Bijoya Dashami: Durga Puja ends with immersion of goddess Nearly 50 distinguished persons, including Hindu religious leaders, members of the Hindu Religion Welfare Trust, representatives of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, Dhaka Mahanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee and people from various professions, joined the Bangabhaban programme.

President Abdul Hamid on Thursday called for greater practice of culture to end militancy, fundamentalism, violence and hatred from the root level of society. "The more culture is practiced at every level from the village to the city, from the lower class to the upper class, the more enlightened the society will be," he said. "An enlightened society can build a humane society, ensure the desired prosperity and welfare of a country and nation," he added. The president was speaking at Shilpakala Padak (award) distribution function at Bangladesh Shilapakala Academy's National Theater Hall auditorium. He joined the event virtually as the chief guest. Also read: PM Hasina invites US president to visit Bangladesh Hamid said there have been many changes in the society over the time which has also affected "our own culture." "Foreign culture is constantly infiltrating our cultural arena due to satellite..." he said. So the mentality of grabbing everything if it is foreign or attractive must be avoided, he also said. He added " We have to accept whatever is compatible with our culture and tradition. Everything unnecessary, foreign and uncultured should be discarded." The president said that the development of infrastructure and facilities is an important element in the development of indigenous culture but it is not everything. In order to develop culture, we need to make everyone aware of the culture and traditions of our modern age, regardless of caste and religion at the grass root level. Hamid said that initiatives should be taken at the grass root level to develop non-sectarian and liberation war spirited culture. Saying 'the development and tradition of our culture tells us how advanced and modern we are as a nation,' he said youths should be involved in cultural activities to turn them into modern, skilled and cultural minded manpower as culture can play the role of the main weapon against militancy and terrorism. Also read: President congratulates Bangladesh women's team: New SAFF champions "Earlier every family used to practice various cultural activities including music in the morning. But with the development of urban civilization, the wide spread of information technology and the busy schedule of urban life, the practice of culture at the family level is gradually decreasing. Children and youth are ... chasing various apps like Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok, games etc. Mobiles and laptops are the main entertainment and sports equipment for them. If they continue like this, they will forget their history and heritage one day, " he warned. Hamid added that healthy culture should be developed at individual, family, social and national levels to develop them as healthy and humane citizens. He also put emphasis on the start of practice of culture from the grassroots, especially from the family. Shilpakala Academy director general Liaquat Ali Lucky, on behalf of the President, handed over the prestigious Shilpakala Padak to 20 recipients for the calendar years 2020 and 2019. A total of 18 cultural luminaries and two revered cultural organizations received the award. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur spoke as the special guests, while State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid presided over the ceremony. The 2020 award winning cultural personalities are - Malay Bhowmick (dramatics), Mahmudur Rahman Benu (vocalist), Shahid Kabir (fine arts), Shameem Akhtar (film), Shibli Mohammad (dance), Shah Alam Sarkar (folklore), Shamsur Rahman (instrumental/shehnai), Shafiqul Islam Swapan (photography), Dahlia Ahmed (recitation), and Dinajpur Natya Samity (creative cultural unit). The recipients of 2019 award are - Masud Ali Khan (dramatics), Hasina Momtaz (vocalist), Abdul Mannan (fine arts), Anupam Hayat (film), Lubna Marium (dance), Shamvu Acharaya (folklore), Mohammad Moniruzzaman (instrumental - flute), M A Taher (photography), Hasan Arif (recitation), and cultural institution Chhayanaut (creative cultural unit). Each awardee got a gold medal, a cheque for Tk 1 lakh, and a certificate. The award has been conferred on deserving creative personalities for their continuous contributions in several fields of arts, culture, entertainment and literature since 2013.

New Zealand's newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh David Gregory Pine presented his credentials to President Abdul Hamid on Monday at Bangabhaban. The new envoy was given a guard of honor by a smart contingent of the Presidential Guard Regiment when he arrived at Bangabhaban in the afternoon. During the meeting, the President said that New Zealand was the first country to recognize Bangladesh after independence. Bangladesh's relationship with New Zealand is very good and this relationship is gradually expanding in many dimensions. Thanking New Zealand for providing duty-free access to Bangladeshi products, the President said this will further expand trade and investment. Read: “Committed to commissioning Godda Power Project’s transmission line to Bangladesh by Bijoy Dibosh 2022” Meanwhile, the President urged New Zealand investors to come forward to invest in the livestock sector of Bangladesh. He said that Bangladesh produces various types of world-class products including sea-going ships, clothes, medicines, ceramics. New Zealand can import these products from Bangladesh. The new High Commissioner of New Zealand sought the full cooperation of the President while performing his duties. He will be based out of New Delhi, India with joint accreditation for Bangladesh as well. Secretaries to the President were also present on the occasion.  

President Abdul Hamid is going to visit his ancestral village, Mithamain of Kishoreganj district on Monday. The helicopter carrying the President and his entourages will depart for Kishoreganj around 3:30 pm tomorrow. The President will be given a guard of honor at Mithamain Dak Bungalow around 4 pm after reaching Mithamain, according to programme schedule. Read: President asks judges to ease litigants' suffering through IT Press secretary Md Joynal Abedin told UNB that the President will leave Dhaka for Kishoreganj tomorrow (Monday) on a four-day tour to inspect several ongoing development works at hoar area- Mithamain, Austagram and Itna upazilas of the district. A series of view-exchange meetings with local representatives, professional bodies and civil society members will be held during his visit, he said. He will spend nights at his ancestral residence at Kamalpur of Mithamain upazila during the visit. President Hamid is scheduled to return to Dhaka on Thursday (August 25) afternoon.  

Chief Justice Hasan Faiz Siddiqui on Tuesday presented the Annual Report of Judicial Service Commission-2021 to President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Tuesday evening.   President's press secretary Joynal Abedin briefed the reporters after the meeting.   During the meeting, the Chief Justice and the Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission briefed the President about the overall activities of the Commission and various aspects of the annual report.   The President emphasized on timely training in various subjects including information technology to increase the professional skills of the judges.  Read: The chief justice meets President Hamid and brief him about SC activities: Bangabhaban Hamid also urged the judges to perform their duties with more honesty, devotion and sincerity so that the people get justice quickly.     The member of the commission Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder, Attorney General Abu Mohammad Amin Uddin, Law and Justice Department Secretary  Golam Sarwar and District and Sessions Judge Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan were present.   President's Office Secretary Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary Md Zainal Abedin were also present at the time.

President Abdul Hamid on Saturday expressed grief at the demise of Jatiya Sangsad deputy speaker Md Fazle Rabbi Miah. Advocate Fazle Rabbi, a valiant Freedom Fighter and Member of Parliament, died during treatment at Mt Sinai Hospital in New York. He was 76. Read: FM mourns Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi’s death In his condolence message, President said the nation will remember the late Fazle Rabbi's skills and experience in running Parliament and his contribution to the practice and development of parliamentary democracy with respect. The President also prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.

Austrian Ambassador to Bangladesh Katharina Wieser and Libyan Ambassador Abdul Mutaleb Suliman Mohammed Suliman presented their credentials to Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban Wednesday. The president thanked Austria for its support on the Rohingyas issue. He hoped that the country's cooperation would continue in the future for the dignified return of the Myanmar nationals. Also, Hamid expressed his gratitude to Austria for its cooperation in helping Bangladesh vaccinate its people during the Covid-19 pandemic. Noting the excellent relations between Austria and Bangladesh, he hoped that it would be further expanded in different areas, including trade and investment. Hamid told the Libyan ambassador that there was ample opportunity to expand the existing multi-dimensional Bangladesh-Libya ties in trade and commerce. READ: President Hamid unveils inaugural envelope of census He said Bangladesh produces world-class products, including ready-made garments (RMG), medicines, jute and leather products, and plastic materials. "Libya can get benefitted from importing them." Libya could meet their demand for workers by recruiting skilled ones from Bangladesh in different sectors, including agriculture, information technology and health, he added. Hamid sought the cooperation of the new envoy to solve the problems of Bangladeshis working in Libya.