Bangabandhu Birth Centenary: PM to inaugurate celebration countdown on January 10
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the countdown to Mujib Borsho -- celebrating the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- on January 10.
She will inaugurate the event at the old airport in Tejgaon -- where the airplane carrying Bangabandhu landed on his return to an independent Bangladesh the same day in 1972 from Pakistan.
The countdown will begin simultaneously in every district, upazila and all public gathering places across the country.
Talking to the news agency, Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, chief coordinator of the Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee, said as January 10 is a historic day for the nation, they are going to start the countdown from that day.
On January 10, 1972, Bangabandhu returned to an independent Bangladesh via London and New Delhi, after 290 days of captivity in Pakistan jail.
“Our goal is not just to celebrate the birth centenary, but to highlight the country’s development activities towards building a ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” he added.
The chief coordinator said different socio-cultural and political organisations from grassroots to national level, ministries and divisions are arranging programmes to celebrate the birth centenary.
He said there will be an inaugural programme on March 17 where eminent personalities from home and abroad will attend.
Earlier, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will unveil the birth centenary logo and the countdown clock.
The minister said around 2,000 guests and 10,000 spectators will be invited to the programme.
Spectators will have to register using a mobile app. The Dhaka International Trade Fair will be requested to remain closed on that day.
Countdown clocks will be set up at 28 spots in 12 city corporations, 53 districts, and in Tungipara and Mujibnagar, he added.
The minister made the comment after a meeting of the security sub-committee on January 1, formed at the recommendation of the National Implementation Committee to celebrate the birth centenary, at the Secretariat.