Today is St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). It comes once a year, but it’s one of those days that should be celebrated more often!

Yesterday President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulated their Irish counterparts on the occasion. In his message, President Hamid felicitated Irish President Michael D Higgins and expressed his satisfaction at the excellent bilateral relations with Ireland.

In a separate message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted her Irish counterpart Enda Kenny and expressed her confidence that the bonds of friendship, understanding and cooperation with Ireland will further be consolidated for the mutual benefits of the people of the two friendly countries. She wished good health, long life and happiness of the Irish Prime Minister and continued peace, progress and wellbeing of the people of Ireland.

Although of Christian origin, St. Patrick’s Day is an unique and rare occasion that puts all religious beliefs and differences to the side and embraces all faiths – Muslim, Buddhists, Protestant, Hindu and all the others – for a day of peace, love, harmony and fun... especially fun!

The event is celebrated worldwide from the shivering-cold outer regions of Antarctica to the equally desolate, lonely American satellite station that peers down on earth from above.

Bangladesh is particularly blessed on March 17.

Not only is it St. Patrick’s Day, but also the birthday of the founder of the nation – Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – another auspicious occasion.

In modern times, St. Pat’s Day has all but lost its Christian exclusivity and has become ecumenical, embracing all religions and peoples of all nationalities. It’s perhaps the only festival in the world that people from all walks of life, rich and poor, all nationalities and creeds get-together to celebrate; not in respect to any one religion, but humankind.

Every year the Irish government confers honorary Irish citizenship on all citizens of the world for that day.  Bangladesh tourist authorities could learn a lot from the Irish. Before the days of the Celtic Tiger and Ireland’s economic boom (and subsequent collapse) tourism was the biggest money earner that prevented the Irish from starving.

St. Patrick himself was a tourist... reluctantly. He was kidnapped in Wales and taken to Ireland. Unlike the beaming smiles that radiate from Irish tourism posters nowadays, then (around 330 AD) the Irish were uncivilized and a nation of rough necks, plunderers and marauders, ‘the terrors of the region’.

They regularly risked their lives in questionable seaworthy vessels, sailed to neighboring countries England, Scotland and Wales, raided, raped, pillaged and plundered brutally and mercilessly for their rewards.

Patrick, then about 14, was abducted and taken back to Ireland as a slave. Six years later he escaped, returned to his family and joined the church.

After his ordination as a Catholic bishop it’s said he had a vision in his sleep that compelled him to return to Ireland and teach Christianity to the pagans. It is universally acclaimed he banished snakes from Ireland, but there is no record of snakes ever been in Ireland. Instead, figurative language was often used in folklore tales and the ‘snakes’ most probably represented druids and pagans.

The three-leafed shamrock (a weed that grows everywhere on the Emerald Isle) grew in popularity when the saint used it to explain the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost connected to the one stem (God) to the pagan masses. Shamrock is much similar to a clover, but without the white spots and each leaf is heart-shaped which adds to its natural beauty.

By the seventh century St. Patrick had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland. Two letters handwritten by him still survive.

Americans are proud of their Irish ancestry and go ‘party mad’ on March 17. They hold the biggest street processions with marching bands and colorful floats. American presidents have hosted special St. Patrick’s Day breakfasts at the White House for leaders of the Irish community for decades. Perhaps the most famous of all were President John F. Kennedy and his brother Bobby who changed the world for the better, especially with their human rights initiatives.

The most popular and well-known Irishmen in Bangladesh no doubt are controversial and outspoken EU Ambassador William Hanna from Northern Ireland and equally outspoken humanitarian and anti corporal punishment campaigner Sir Frank Peters from the south.

Sir Frank who earned the title ‘Foreign Friend of Bangladesh’ through his many good deeds both here and overseas, created a unique poster that encapsulates the Bangabandhu speech of March 7 that triggered the birth of Bangladesh that is now seen by many to be the unofficial Proclamation of Bangladesh. It hangs in the Bangabandhu Museum, The Awami League HQ and many foreign offices and the homes of presidents, prime ministers and other internationally renowned dignitaries throughout the world.

The following year he became the first (and up to now, the only) ‘foreigner’ invited to speak at a function hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in tribute to her father. In 1971 he also supported the homeless and starving people of Bangladesh through several successful fund-raising initiatives in the UK.

To the best of my knowledge he’s never been given ‘Foreign Friend’ recognition by the government, but two Bangladeshi families – Ali & Poppy Akbar and Tareq &Tanya Ali independently named their newborn sons ‘Frank Peters’ in his honour which echoes the appreciation and soul of the people.

Sir Frank also ingeniously re-invented the famous Bangladeshi lungi by giving it a pocket to hold his mobile phone, pens and keys when he visits outer Bangladesh villages on welfare missions!

It is most probably his recent crusade to abolish corporal punishment in Bangladeshi schools, however, which has indelibly inscribed his name in Bangladesh history.

I’m not Irish, but I will become Irish on March 17 and join the rest of the world in celebrating the occasion .

I wish His Excellency Ambassador Hanna, Sir Frank, and all Irish persons in Bangladesh – and those who become Irish persons for the day – a very happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s there to enjoy, so enjoy!

(The writer was born in Cardiff, Wales, and is an international financial adviser to the banking industry)

BDST: 1010 HRS, MAR 17, 2014