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).