President, PM greet nation on New Year's Eve

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted the countrymen on the occasion of New Year 2016.

In separate messages on the eve of the new year, they wished peace and prosperity for all in 2016.

In his message, President Abdul Hamid said though the celebration of Bengali New Year has merged with the national culture, the English new year influences all because of the widespread use of English calendar in daily activities.

The pledge of the new year is to march forward toward development and prosperity on the basis of the past achievements and successes, he said.

The president hoped that the new year would open the doors of possibilities by fulfilling expectations in social, political, economic and cultural areas.

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen and citizens across the globe on the eve of the new year.

She said outgoing 2015 is a glorious year in the history of the Bangalee nation in the areas of social development, maintaining constitutional and democratic continuation and upholding the spirit of the Liberation War.

It was a year of success in both domestic and international arena, she said and referred to her winning UN award 'Champion of the Earth.

The country is now on the verge of self-reliant economy, the prime minister said and referred to the construction of Padma bridge with own resources and implementing Rooppur nuclear power project with Russian assistance.

Bangladesh has reached a new height in the indices of socio-economic development, Sheikh Hasina said.

She said despite global recession, the country achieved 6.51 percent growth and the per capita income increased to 1314 US dollar.

The World Bank has recognised Bangladesh as a lower middle-income country, the prime minister said, adding that the country's power generation capacity increased to 14,000 megawatts.

In 2015, the government has been able to open a new horizon in regional cooperation and establishing good relations with neighbors, she said and referred to resolving long-standing issue of exchanging enclaves with India and getting possession of 10,010 acres of land.

The prime minister said trials of war crimes are going on defying the conspiracies of BNP-Jamaat.

The execution of war trial verdicts has already started, she said expressing her determination to bring all war criminals to book and execute the verdicts.

The prosecutions in the cases of the killing of four national leaders, August 21 grenade attack and 10-truck arms smuggling are progressing fast, she added.

The prime minister urged all to build a hunger-free, non-communal, prosperous and peaceful Bangladesh being inspired with the spirit of the Liberation War.

"Let's build 'Golden Bengal' free from hunger, poverty, illiteracy and communalism as dreamt by the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she added.