Bangladesh Independence Day flag raising ceremony

Bangladesh Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony

The Bangladeshi community in Rochdale attended a flag raising ceremony in front of Rochdale Town Hall to mark the occasion of the 45th Independence Day of Bangladesh.

The Mayor and the Mayoress of Rochdale, Surinder and Cecile Biant, graced the occasion which took place on Thursday 24 March, in view of the Easter closure, instead of 26 March, the actual anniversary of independence.

The flag raising, also attended by councillors,  was followed by a reception at the Town Hall.

The speakers at the reception expressed their pride at being British Bangladeshis and recounted the support of the British people in their liberation struggle.

Others touched on the "exemplary cohesion" that exists among all the communities in Rochdale such that, as Mayoress Cecile Biant said, Rochdale did not experience any racial violence in the past, and this community cohesion still remained as the binding force in Rochdale.

One minute of silence was observed in memory of all those who gave their lives for the independence of Bangladesh and the recent victims of terrorism in Paris, Ankara and Brussels.

The event was jointly organised by BACP (Bangladesh Association and Community Project) and Councillor Ali Ahmed.