Christmas Day is being celebrated on Wednesday with festivity across Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world.
Christians from different groups celebrate the festival amid festivity and religious fervour by offering special prayers, illuminating churches, and installing makeshift Christmas trees at homes, places of worship and missions.
Elderly people of the community, attired in the outfit of Santa Claus, usually play with children and distribute gifts among them as part of a universal Christian practice.
The day is a public holiday.
In separate messages, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus greeted members of the Christian community on the occasion.
They wished peace, welfare and prosperity to all citizens, including Christians.
President Shahabuddin said Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony as people of all religions have been practising their religions and rituals independently in this country for a long time.
He urged all to work together to build a happy, prosperous and non-communal Bangladesh.
On Jesus Christ's contribution to society, the president said Jesus taught people to be in a peaceful position with love, compassion, forgiveness, affection, empathy and the establishment of justice.
"Instead of earthly life, Jesus Christ put emphasis on the importance of spiritual happiness through renunciation, restraint and charity," the president said.
He said he thinks that the teachings and ideals of Jesus Christ are very relevant in establishing peace and harmony in a trouble-torn world apart from establishing harmony and unity among nations.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, in his message, said he hopes that Christmas will further strengthen the existing camaraderie and harmony between Christians and other communities in the country.
For thousands of years, he said, people of all religions, regardless of race, religion or caste, have lived together in harmony in this country. People of all religions and communities have the ultimate freedom to practice their religion here, he added.
Yunus said Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem on this day, and one of his vows was to establish a society free from exploitation by establishing justice and peace in the world.
Jesus, he mentioned, sacrificed himself for the poor and starving people, while his ideal lifestyle and strict characteristics still remain immortal in human history.
Greeting countrymen, especially the Christians, on this occasion, the chief adviser wished all citizens peace, welfare and prosperity.
On this day, churches in the capital will be illuminated while Christmas trees will be set up and candles lit at abodes and churches by the Christian community to celebrate the event amid religious fervour.
According to tradition, Santa Claus distributes sweets and gifts among children in churches on the occasion.
This is a great day for children in the Christian community, who sing carols on the occasion in praise of Jesus Christ and exchange gifts.
National dailies published special articles highlighting the importance of Christmas.
Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and private radio stations and TV channels aired special programs marking the festival.
