Children's Day (Bangladesh)
{{Short description|Day of celebration for children}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
Bangladesh Children's Day (Bengali: শিশু দিবস) was celebrated on 17 March, coinciding with the birthday of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.{{cite news |title=8 nat'l days including March 7 cancelled |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/8-natl-days-including-march-7-cancelled-3728751 |newspaper=The Daily Star|date=17 October 2024 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Aparajeyo-Bangladesh |url=https://www.aparajeyo.org/17%20march.html#:~:text=Bangabandhu%20Sheikh%20Mujibur%20Rahman%20was,love%20he%20had%20for%20children. |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=www.aparajeyo.org}}
File:Kids playing at school, Dhaka, Bangladesh 5.JPG, Bangladesh]]
History
Bangladesh Children's Day, was celebrated annually on 17 March, coincides with the birthday of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The day was declared as National Children's Day after the Awami League came to power in 1996. The decision was made to honour Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's affection for children and his vision for their welfare.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-03 |title=National Children's Day of Bangladesh 2024 History, Quotes, Message, Wish, Status - National Day List |url=https://nationaldaylist.com/national-childrens-day/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=nationaldaylist.com |language=en-US}} Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, popularly known as "Bangabandhu" (Friend of Bengal), was born on 17 March 1920. His birthday is a public holiday in Bangladesh, observed with various activities promoting children's rights and welfare.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-18 |title=Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birthday - ExcelNotes |url=https://excelnotes.com/sheikh-mujibur-rahmans-birthday/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |language=en-US}} Despite the existence of International Children's Day, Bangladesh did not have a National Children's Day until this declaration. The day has been celebrated since 1997, the interim government of Bangladesh removed it from the list of public holidays in 2024.
= Celebration =
17 March was considered a public holiday in Bangladesh by the Awami League government.{{Cite web |last=DhakaDon |date=2024-01-03 |title=Bangladesh Holiday Calendar 2024 |url=https://dhakadon.com/news/bd-calendar-2024/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612211133/https://dhakadon.com/news/bd-calendar-2024/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |archive-date=12 June 2024 |language=en-US}} In 2024, the Yunus ministry removed it from the list of public holidays.{{cite news |title=7 March, 15 August, among 8 national days, cancelled |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/8-national-days-including-15-august-be-cancelled-968156 |work=The Business Standard |date=16 October 2024 |language=en}}