By Abdul Aziz Mir

JUBAIL —  The dedicated and faithful admirers of the late President Ziaur Rahman celebrated the 41st anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence Day in a hotel at the Jubail Royal Commission on March 29.
Commmunity leader SK Abdul Mannan presided over the program, which was conducted by Md. Helal Uddin and began with a recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an.
The chief guest was Dr. A.K.M. Golam Hasnaine Suhan, Riyadh central region DAB & BSA leader.
In his speech, Dr. Suhan urged all Bangladeshi expatriates to study and respect the law of the host country. He said that due to some bad elements in the Bangladeshi community and their misdeeds, majority of Bangladeshi expatriates suffer. “We want to overcome all of these dreadful things by identifying these culprits. We do not want to damage the image of our country,” he said.
Special guests included Jashim Uddin Shamim, Md. Harun, Md.Shafi, Shaiab Ibne Ahmed and Md. Jalil. Also in attendance were Dammam and Al Hassa community leaders Dr. Gaziur Rahman Gazi, MA Kashem Khan, and Md. Saimon. Other guests were Md. Shohag Mahmood, Md. Kazi Imran, Nanai Jashim, Masud Rana, Sentu, Uzzol.
The guests spoke about the history of the liberation war, recalling the sacrifices made by the martyrs and freedom fighters for the sake of the country. The role of the late President Zia in the liberation war was also recounted.
A band performed a Bangladeshi cultural number. Attendees came from Jubail, Dammam and Al Hassa.