Country set to start Bangabandhu’s birth centenary, Independence jubilee celebrations

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DHAKA, March 16, 2021 (BSS) – The nation is set to begin tomorrow a 10-day celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary and golden jubilee of 1971 independence.

Five South Asian heads of state and government are set to join in person while several other world leaders sent congratulatory video messages as the country begins the celebrations of two historic events simultaneously.

A ceremony will virtually mark the opening of the celebrations while Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will attend the function as the first top foreign leader along with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

One hundred children will sing the national anthem at the parade ground.

Recitation from holy books, the theme song of the Mujib year, audio-visual presentations, playing of recorded messages of foreign dignitaries and statements of the Bangladesh president, premier and Mohamed Solih as the guest of honour will mark the Parade Ground function.

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) here at 8.20am. President M Abdul Hamid will receive his Maldivian counterpart at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HISA) at 8.20am on the day.

He will lay wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar at 9.20am, sing the visitor’s book and plant a sapling there.

He will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number 32 at 10.25am.

The Maldivian President will pay a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at 3.30pm.

He will join the function at the National Parade Ground at 4.30pm.

He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday.

He will witness signing of some Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) between the two countries.

The Maldivian President will pay a courtesy call on Bangladesh President at Credential Hall of Bangabhaban at 7pm on Thursday.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih would sign the visitors’ book at Bangabhaban. A number of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) between the two countries will be signed in presence of the two heads of the state.

The Maldivian President will join the dinner and cultural programme hosted by Bangladesh’s head of the state at Durbar Hall Ground of the Bangabhaban.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will arrive at HSIA at 10am on March 19 on a two-day tour.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive her Sri Lankan counterpart at the airport.

Mahinda Rajapaksa will lay wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar at 11am, sing the visitor’s book and plant a sapling there.

He will pay a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at 3pm.

He will join the function at the National Parade Ground at 4.30pm. The Sri Lankan prime minister will attend a cultural programme and banquet hosted by the Bangladesh Prime Minister at Grand Ball Room at Hotel Intercontinental here at 7.30pm.

He will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number 32 at 10am on March 20. He will sing visitor’s book there.

He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) at 10.25 am.

Some Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) will be signed between the two countries in presence of the two heads of the government.

The Sri Lankan prime minister will pay a courtesy call on Bangladesh President M Abdul Hamid at Credential Hall of the Bangabhaban at 5pm. He will sign the visitor’s book there.

Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari will reach Dhaka at 10am on March 22 on a two-day tour. Bangladesh President M Abdul Hamid will receive his Nepalese counterpart at the airport.

The Nepalese President will lay wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar at 11am, sing the visitor’s book and plant a sapling there.

She will pay a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at 3.30pm.

Later, she will pay courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Hotel Intercontinental at 3.40pm.

The Nepalese President will join the function at the National Parade Ground at 4.30pm.

She will pay a courtesy call on her Bangladesh counterpart at Credential Hall of the Bangabhaban at 7.30pm.

Signing of instruments will be held in presence of the two heads of the state. She will sign the visitor’s book.

She will attend cultural programme and state banquet hosted by Bangladesh’s head of the state at Durbar Hall Ground of the Bangabhaban.

On March 23, she will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number 32 at 11am.

She will attend programme of Nepalese Embassy at Baridhara at 2.20pm.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering is scheduled to arrive here at 10am on March 24. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive her Bhutanese counterpart at the airport.

Lotay Tshering will lay wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar at 11.10am, sing the visitor’s book and plant a sapling there.

He will pay a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at 12.30pm.

The Bhutanese prime minister will meet his Bangladesh counterpart at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) at 2.35pm.

The two heads of the government will witness a signing ceremony at 3.15pm.

He will pay a courtesy call on Bangladesh President M Abdul Hamid at 3.55pm.

He will join the function at the National Parade Ground at 5.15pm.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive at HSIA at 11am on March 26.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive her Indian counterpart at the airport.

Narendra Modi will lay wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar at 12 noo, sing the visitor’s book and plant a sapling there.

He will join the function at the National Parade Ground at 4.30pm.

He along with his Bangladesh counterpart will inaugurate the Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) at 7.10pm.

He will attend a cultural function and banquet hosted by his Bangladesh counterpart at BICC.

On March 27, the Indian prime minister will visit Jeshoreshwari Devi Temple at Ishwaripur under Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira at 9.50am.

He will visit Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 10.50am. He will lay wreath at the mausoleum, plant a sapling and sign the visitor’s book.

Narendra Modi will visit Orakandi Temple at Kashiani upazila in the district at 11.35am.

He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the PMO at 3.30pm. He will virtually inaugurate different projects and sing MoUs.

He will pay a courtesy call on Bangladesh President at 5.35pm.

The theme of the 10-day programme is ‘Mujib Chirantan’, but separate theme for each day has been taken.

‘Vengechho Duar Esechho Jotirmoy’ is the theme of March 17 while ‘Mohakaler Torjoni’ for March 18 event, ‘Jotokal Robe Padma Jamuna’ for March 19, ‘Tarunner Alokshikha’ for March 20, ‘Dhongsostupe Jiboner Gan’ for March 21 events, ‘Banglar Mati, Amar Mati’ for March 22, ‘Nari Mukti, Sammo o Swadhinata’ for March 23, Santi, Mukti o Manobotar Agrodoot’ for March 24 events, ‘Gonohottar Kalratri o Aloker Avijatra’ for March 25 and ‘Swadhinatar Panchash Bochhor o Agrogotir Subornorekha’ for March 26.

Around 500 guests from both home and abroad will attend events at the National Parade Ground on March 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26.

All the programmes, including the March 18, 20, 21, 23 and 25 ones, will be aired on television channels, online and social media.

President Abdul Hamid will be present at the events on March 17, 22 and 26, while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on March 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26.

On March 17, Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will attend the inauguration session of the 10-day event on March 17 as guest of honour, while Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will deliver the welcome speeches virtually.

On March 19, he said, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the event as guest of honour, while Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will be present on March 22.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering will be present at the National Parade Ground on March 24, while Pope Francis will deliver the welcome address virtually.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the closing day of the 10-day event on March 26 and deliver his speech.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will deliver the welcome speech on March 18 on virtual platform, while OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen will deliver speech on March 20, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on March 22 and South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Takasi Hawarkawar’s son Osamu Hawakawa on March 25 virtually.

The events will be held from 4.30pm to 8pm on March 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26 and the programmes of other days will be held from 5.16pm to 8pm.