 
Assembly Resolution No. 214
 
BY: M. of A. Cruz
 
        RECOGNIZING March 26, 2019, as Bangladesh National
        Flag Day
 
  WHEREAS,  This  Legislative  Body is justly proud to recognize March
26, 2019, as Bangladesh National Flag Day; and
 
  WHEREAS, The war, also known as the Bangladesh War of  Independence,
began after the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan launched
Operation  Searchlight  against the people of East Pakistan on the night
of March 25, 1971; and
 
  WHEREAS, The war ended on December 16,  1971,  after  West  Pakistan
surrendered and Bangladesh sent them back to their country by expressing
a spirit of generosity and forgiveness; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Bangladesh,  as a State, became independent on March 26th,
as it had started to possess all the elements  of  Statehood  from  this
very day; and
 
  WHEREAS,  March  26th, the day Bangladesh declared independence from
Pakistan, is a National Holiday and is in remembrance of those who  laid
their lives down for independence and fought hard; the 31 gunshot salute
at dawn marks the beginning of the day's celebrations; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Independence  Day  of Bangladesh has a connection with the
Proclamation of Independence of 1971 and is considered to be one of  the
bases of the national liberation and present legal system; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Victory  Day  is  also  a  national  holiday in Bangladesh
celebrated on December 16th each year to commemorate the victory of  the
allied forces over the Pakistani forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War
in 1971; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The Commanding Officer of the Pakistani Forces General AAK
Niazi surrendered with his forces to the  joint  forces  of  Bangladesh,
which  marked  the  end of the nine month-long Bangladesh Liberation War
and 1971 official secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh; and
 
  WHEREAS, Born  on  December  16,  1946,  Shib  Narayan  Das  is  the
craftsman of the first national flag of Bangladesh; and
 
  WHEREAS, As desired by the then NUCLEUS, an organization involved in
the  independence  movement,  Shib  Narayan  Das using a match stick and
yellow colored paint, he marked the  map  of  Bangladesh  over  the  red
circle  of the proposed flag in Dhaka University (DU) from deep midnight
of June 6th up to the dawn of June 7th in 1970; and
 
  WHEREAS, On behalf of the NUCLEUS, the same  flag  was  unfurled  by
Abdur  Rab  along  with  AFM  Mahbubul Haq, Das and other student league
leaders from the roof top of the western porch of the  Arts  Faculty  of
DU,  on  March  2,  1971,  shortly before the outbreak of the Bangladesh
Liberation War; and
 
  WHEREAS, After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971,  the  map  of
Bangladesh  was removed from the flag as it had difficulty for rendering
the map correctly on both sides of the flag; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Artist  Quamrul  Hassan was asked to report on the design,
color, shape and explanation; on January 17, 1972, the  new  design  was
made the official national flag of Bangladesh; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The  flag  consists of a red disc on top of a green field;
the red disc is offset slightly toward the  hoist  so  that  it  appears
centered when the flag is flying; the red disc represents the sun rising
over  Bengal,  and also the blood of those who died for the independence
of Bangladesh; and the green field stands for the lushness of  the  land
of Bangladesh; and
 
  WHEREAS,  As  a  symbol of their pride, they honor their flag in the
morning of their Independence Day; and
 
  WHEREAS, Many Bangladesh people have made New York their  home,  and
this Legislative Body, representing the people of the State of New York,
is  pleased  to  thank  the Bangladesh people for their contributions to
this great Empire State; and
 
  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body  that  those  who
enhance  the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly  have  earned  the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize March 26, 2019, as Bangladesh National Flag  Day;  and  be  it
further
 
  RESOLVED,  That  copies  of  this  Resolution, suitably engrossed be
transmitted to South Asian Fund For Education, Scholarship and  Training
(SAFEST) Executive Director Mazeda A. Uddin, Director-Adan Islam, Sahana
Begum  Bangladesh  Society  Inc.;  Abulfazal  Didarul Islam President of
Jackson Heights Bangladesh Business Association (JBBA), Mohammed Hossain
Khan President of Federation of Bangladesh Association in North  America
(FOBANA),  Shameem  Ahmed  President  of  Bangladesh American Democratic
Society (BADS), Mizanur Rahman Founder of  Organization  of  Bangladeshi
American  Community  (OBAC),  and Fakrul Islam Delwar Founder of Jamaica
Bangladesh Friends Society (JBFS).
Recognizing March 26, 2019, as Bangladesh National Flag Day

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