Calling on the City of Philadelphia to include the flag of Bangladesh in the display of flags on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

WHEREAS, More than 90 international flags have been displayed on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway since the bicentennial celebration in 1976; and

WHEREAS, These flags represent countries with significant populations in the City of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, These international symbols have become an iconic feature enjoyed by residents and sought out by tourists; and

WHEREAS, The Republic of Bangladesh, with a population of more than 150 million people, was founded in 1971 and has a rich cultural history that stretches back thousands of years, with a number of archaeological and historical sites dating back as far as the third century BC; and

WHEREAS, One significant tie between Philadelphia and Bangladesh is that the government of Bangladesh engaged famed Philadelphia architect Louis Kahn to design its National Assembly Building in the capital city of Dhaka; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is home to a growing number of citizens from Bangladesh and hosts numerous visitors from the country each year; and

WHEREAS, Bangladeshis take great pride in their national heritage yet the nation of Bangladesh is not among those currently represented on the Parkway; and

WHEREAS, A number of banners along the Parkway represent local cultural institutions rather than nations, demonstrating the potential to increase the number of countries represented; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby

call on the City of Philadelphia to include the flag of Bangladesh in the display of flags on

the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

End