Bangladesh joins the rest of the world in stepping Into a new millennium today and greeting a new dawn for the mankind.

Fireworks and blast of crackers heralded the day when the clock struck zero hours last night. Revellers joined the celebrations in many places in the city, welcoming the new year.

Emergency workers in utilities like power, water, gas. telephones. hospitals, clinics, airports vtir on high alert to . guard against the Y2K glitch in the event of a computer failure.

Bangladesh Biman. which grounded all its aircraft since 6 p.m. yesterday was scheduled to run a check on all its computerrun operations at mid-night. All planes are expected to remain grounded until 7 a.m. today.

British Airways. Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines cancelled their flights to Dhaka yesterday. Others rescheduled their flights to avoid any hiccup on air traffic control radars ar Zia -International Airport.

However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh said that there was nothing to fear as it's radars would function as usual. Flights would be guided manually to avoid any possible problem.

Police was on high alert to prevent any untoward incident during the celebrations in the city and its outskirts.

A large of number of people ignoring cold joined the cele-braticus^njoying. concerts and - par hcilels, students' residential halls and auditoriums were packed with happy-go people.

At TSC of the Dhaka University. hundreds gathered for the new year’s eve celebrations since evening, where crackers and fireworks and concerts highlighted the celebrations.

In Gulshan, the restaurants and guest houses were packed with revellers who had gathered since evening for the great

JS goes into millennium session The Jatiya Sangsad goes into session toefay at 10 a.m. President Shahabuddin Ahmed opens the session on the millennium. outlining the nation’s journey into the new year.

But the session will be a lackltfstre one. in view of the main opposition parties’ abstl-

PM’s message

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a message yesterday called upon the people to take a fresh vow to build a hunger, poverty and exploitation free world In the next millennium.

‘Let the future world be a habitable abode for the global children, the backward womenfolk appear in the ray of light and the unemployed youths join the stream of production and progress", she said in her message on the eve of the mil lennium and the new year.

The PM said that the people of Bangladesh are In the caravan of the global stream at the Inception of the new millennium. which transformed the entire human society into close relations and neighbours by remarkable success of science and technology. "We are overwhelmed by the emotions of Joining in the great assembly of the world humanity", she added.

Khaleda Zia

Leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia in a statement yesterday greeted the people on the eve of the English new year, new century and new millennium. She took a vow to work for the success in facing upto the challenges of new millennium to restore Bangladesh’s past glory in the light of today s achieve menu. Sne reiterated her pledge to establish a patriotic government. making the one-point movement to force the government resign a success.