Hakikul Islam Khokan,Senior Correspondedt:urges expatriates to send remittances thru’ legal channels,on Friday,19 April, 2024, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mr. Muhammad Imran has urged the expatriate Bangladeshis to send remittances through legal channels for further strengthening the country’s economy. He simultaneously called upon them to project the country’s tremendous success stories to further brighten the country’s image abroad. The Ambassador was speaking as the chief guest at the Customers’ Gathering and SECI App Campaign of Sonali Exchange at the Bangabandhu Auditorium of Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on Friday evening. Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC and and Sonali Exchange, a subsidiary company of Sonali Bank PLC, jointly organized the program to create awareness about sending remittance to Bangladesh through legal channel. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Sonali Bank PLC. Mr. Md. Afzal Karim joined the function as the special guest, while Mr. Devasree Mitra, CEO of Sonali Exchange Company Incorporation, USA delivered the address of welcome. Ambassador Imran mentioned that Bangladesh attained huge progress in all fields in the last one and a half decades under the visionary and dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He said during the period, many positive achievements and changes took place in the country. The country will reach to a unique height, if we could share these success stories with everyone and spread those across the globe, he added. Ambassador Imran said Bangladesh is a victorious nation which earned independence through Liberation War under the undisputed leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangabandhu had dreamt of establishing “Sonar Bangla” (Golden Bengal) free from hunger and poverty, and the country is not much far away from achieving the goal, he said. The Ambassador appreciated the state-owned Sonali Bank for introduction of SECI App for sending remittances home through legal channel and requested all concerned including the Bangladeshi diaspora to let know everyone the benefits of the App. He also briefly highlighted various consular services now being provided by the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC. In his speech, CEO and Managing Director of Sonali Bank Md. Afzal Karim discussed the various activities of the country’s largest state-owned bank to reach the bank services to the people’s doorsteps. While highlighting the salient features of the SECI App, he said the app has been introduced following the demand of expatriate Bangladeshis. The expatriates could send remittances home immediately and easily by using the app, he said and noted that the country will be immensely benefited if they send money through legal channel including the app. A large number of expatriate Bangladeshis living in Washington DC and its adjoining states joined the event. Counsellor and Head of Chancery Shamima Yeasmin Smrite