<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government is working tirelessly to spread Bangalee nation's traditions, culture and heritage of thousand years worldwide and expand and flourish the native culture.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>She said this in a message on the eve of the month-long Folk Craft Fair and Folk Festival 2023.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Folk Arts and Craft Foundation will arrange the month-long festival.</div><div><br></div><div>In her message, the premier extended heartiest greetings to all concerned with the fair and folk festival.</div><div><br></div><div>She said art and culture bears a nation's self-identity and enriches conscience.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Centering 1948-52 Language Movement, Bangalee nationalism movement had begun under the leadership of Greatest Bangalee of All Times Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She said artistes had played a robust role to take ahead the movement.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>After the independence, under the patronization of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and sincere efforts of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Bangladesh Folk Arts and Craft Foundation was founded in 1975, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Since the inception, the foundation has been playing a pioneering role in research, collection, conservation, exhibition and regeneration of folk arts and craft.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said her government has implemented massive programme for the development of the foundation in the last 14 years.</div><div><br></div><div>Work is underway to turn Sonargaon Museum into a world class one through expansion of the museum building of the Bangladesh Folk Arts and Craft Foundation and construction of other physical infrastructures at a cost of Taka 147 crore under Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the government, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina hoped that the month long fair of the foundation will play an important role in the expansion of native cultures, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>She also expressed her optimism that craft artists will uphold the cultural heritage of Bangalee nation through arranging rural games which are almost on the verge of extinction, puppet show, folk songs of neglected singers of rural areas as well as famous singers, jari-sari, bhawaiya, murshidi, marfati, kavigan and palagan which will encourage all in building a Sonar Bangladesh as dreamt by Father of the Nation.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">She wished all-out success of the fair and festival.&nbsp;</span></div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>