Bangladesh Scouts Day will be observed on Monday in the country with the theme Smart Scouting, Smart Citizen.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of the day, greeting all members of the Scouts.
In his message, the president said scouting is an international, voluntary, non-political, and educational movement.
Scouting is a supplementary practical education system in addition to regular education, the head of the state added.
“Through scouting, our youth should be energized with the spirit of the great Liberation War and the motto of patriotism,” he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced “Vision 2041” to make Bangladesh a developed, prosperous, and smart scouting country by 2041, he added.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to develop the youth as honest, ideal, and smart citizens through smart scouting, Shahabuddin said.
The president called upon Scout leaders to play a more effective role in establishing a developed, prosperous, and smart Bangladesh by further expanding and accelerating the Scout movement.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin wished the Annual General Meeting of Bangladesh Scouts a success.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the greatest Bangali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, gave official recognition to Bangladesh Scouts on September 11, 1972, through the issuance of a Presidential Ordinance.
As a result of his inspiration and initiative, Bangladesh Scouts became the 105th country to become a member of the World Scout Organization on June 1, 1974, the premier said.
The father of the nation played an important role in the expansion of Bangladesh Scouts at the national level and gaining reputation at the international level, she added.
The premier lauded the initiative to celebrate this day as “Bangladesh Scouts Day”.
Following in the footsteps of the father of the nation, the Awami League government is taking and implementing various initiatives for the development and expansion of scouting, she said.
“I hope that every member of Bangladesh Scouts will play an important role in building a hunger-poverty-free, advanced-prosperous Golden Bangladesh and a knowledge-based Smart Bangladesh as dreamt by the father of the nation,” she said.
Both the president and the premier wished for the overall success of Bangladesh Scouts Day.