Celebration of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary, golden jubilee of independence from Wednesday

The country is going to celebrate a historic 10-day special programme from Wednesday marking the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubur Rahman and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence.

The theme for the 10-day celebration of Bangabandhu's birth centenary is "Mujib Chirantan" but each day will have its own theme.

The celebrations open at the National Parade Ground from 4:30pm to 8pm with the theme "Bhengechho Duar, Esechho Jyotirmoy".

The country is set to put on a festive look ahead of the programme in the capital. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be present at the events on Wednesday.

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

The leaders of five South Asian countries including the president of the Maldives will attend the 10-day event.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the programme on 19 March, Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on 22 March, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering on 24 March and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 March as guests of honour.

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will arrive here on Wednesday as the first of the world leaders to join the celebrations.

He will attend the inauguration session of the 10-day event as a guest of honour while Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will deliver the welcome speeches virtually, reports BSS.

Solih will be in Dhaka on a three-day tour to be followed by four other heads of state and government from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and India under separate schedules.

President Abdul Hamid will receive his Maldivian counterpart at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:20am today (Wednesday).

The president of the Maldives will also attend the National Parade Square function at Tejgaon.

On this day in 1920, Bangabandhu, the architect of independent Bangladesh was born in a respected Muslim family in Tungipara village of Gopalganj sub-division, now a district.

The theme of this year's birthday of Bangabandhu and National Children's Day is "Bangabandhur Janmadin, Shishur Ridoy Hok Rangin".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually address a programme on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu and the National Children's Day-2021 on the premises of the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 10:30am.

The day is a public holiday.

Bangladesh missions abroad have also chalked out elaborate programmes to celebrate the day.

Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, chief coordinator of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee, said the events would be held from 17 to 26 March following the health guidelines as guests from both home and abroad will join the programmes.

Schedules of the Maldives president

In the morning of his first day visit on 17 March, the Maldives President will pay homage to the National Memorial at Savar and to the portrait of Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi No 32.

In the afternoon, he will attend a function at the National Parade Ground and address a gathering.

On 18 March morning, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He will pay a courtesy call on the Bangladesh president at the Credential Hall of Bangabhaban at 7pm on Thursday.

Solih would sign the visitors' book at Bangabhaban. Several Memorandums of Understanding are scheduled to be signed between the two countries in presence of two heads of state.

Later, Solih will take part in a dinner and cultural programme at Durbar Hall Ground of Bangabhaban. He will leave Bangladesh on Thursday night.