Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted all of Bangladesh Ikebana Association (BIA) on the occasion of the organization’s 50th anniversary, to be celebrated tomorrow.
On the eve of the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said: “I am very happy to know that the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Ikebana Association is being celebrated at the ‘Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Auditorium’ of the Bangladesh National Museum under the joint initiative of Bangladesh Ikebana Association and the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka.”
“I wish all the programmes undertaken on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the organization a success,” she said.
According to the BIA, Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement which dates back to the 7th century when floral offerings were made at altars.
This art reached its first zenith in the 16th century under the influence of Buddhist monks and has grown over the centuries, with over 1,000 different schools in Japan and abroad.
Dr A K M Moazzem Hussain, the founder of BIA, and a group of Bangladeshis, who had studied or taken training in Japan, established an Ikebana School in October, 1973 on the premises of the Embassy of Japan at Shantinagar in Dhaka.
The premier said that BIA has not limited itself to Japanese style flower arranging training activities.
The organization has been playing a leading role in maintaining friendly and diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Japan besides exchanging cultural activities between the two countries, she added.
As part of it, this organization also celebrated 50 years of Bangladesh-Japan diplomatic relations in 2022.
Japan wins a special place in the hearts of the people of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said, adding that Japan, a friendly country, officially recognized the newly independent Bangladesh as a sovereign state on February 10 in 1972.
The premier further said that Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman visited Japan in October in 1973.
Through his visit, the strong foundation of the bilateral relations between the two countries was laid, she said.
“Since then, Japan has been making important contributions to the overall development of Bangladesh by providing economic and technical assistance in various fields,” she added.
Besides, the relationship between the people of the two countries is gaining a new dimension day by day through regular exchange of culture and visits at various levels, she said.
The premier added that due to the efforts of present government, Japan has now become a strategic partner from Bangladesh’s main development partner country.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha