Nation welcomes 2018

The national, along with the global community, bids farewell to the outgoing year 2017 welcoming 2018 with new hopes.

Jubilant people will join different New Year programmes when the clock strikes 12 midnight.

New Zealand was among the first few countries to usher in the New Year.

The New Zealand Herald reported that hundreds of people are already heading into the city centres to start their celebrations as they welcome the New Year.

Celebrations then move across the world -- to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and finally the Americas.

BSS says dazzling light shows will bid farewell to 2017.

On this special occasion, people have already conveyed their best wishes to their friends and beloved ones through greeting cards and using different messaging applications and social media platforms.

Corporate and government officials and various organisations also did the same thing as they do every year to greet their nearest ones.

The year 2017 was a significant year for Bangladesh as the country saw many successes in major areas including politics, economy, agriculture, combating terrorism and driving the IT sectors towards attaining the middle-income status.

Alongside many achievements and global recognitions, the country was totally peaceful in the political landscape in 2017.

In separate messages, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen on the occasion of New Year 2018.

In a message, on the eve of the New Year, Hamid wished happiness and welfare for all in 2018.

He 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 President hoped that Bangladesh would march forward on the way of new possibilities sharing sorrows and happiness of the past year.

"Let the pledge of the new year be marching forward toward development and prosperity on the basis of the past achievements and successes," he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message said, "The outgoing 2017 was a glorious year in the history of the Bangalee nation . . . let the new year bring in all our lives untainted happiness, peace and prosperity".