The yearlong celebration of the birth centenary of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will touch the life of country’s people in various ways in addition to the festivity. Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, chief coordinator of the Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee, said they have already requested all the ministries to come up with plans that will touch people’s life. “We have already selected 299 proposals. All of those are very significant,” he said, replying to a question at a press briefing on Sunday at the International Mother Language Institute.
“We are providing necessary supports to implement the programmes,” he said. The health ministry already instructed all government hospitals to set up a help desk center named as ‘Bangabandhu corner’ to offer special services to the people during the Mujib Barsho. The press briefing was organised to inform people about the registration process to attend the countdown event of the Mujib Barsho or Mujib Year which will begin from March 17 and end on the next year’s March 17.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the countdown on January 10 which is the homecoming day of Bangabandhu in independent Bangladesh in 1972 via London and New Delhi after 290 days of captivity in Pakistan jail. The prime minister will inaugurate the event at the old airport in Tejgaon -- where the airplane carrying Bangabandhu landed on his return. The online registration will begin on Monday and continue till January 7. The organiser will allow 10,000 to 12,000 spectators for the spectacular ceremony, apart from invited guests.
Barrister Shah Ali Farhad, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant, said www.event.mujib100.gov.bd is the registration page. “You will need to put your name, NID number, mobile number and email ID, and then you will get an email reply. Just print it and bring it with you.” The countdown will begin simultaneously in every district, upazila and municipalities where the government will set up countdown clocks - 28 city corporations, 53 districts, and one in Tungipara, the birthplace of Bangabandhu, and one in Mujibnagar, where the war time government was formed.
The prime minister will unveil the logo and the theme song of the Mujib Year. Through the celebration, the government will highlight Bangabandhu’s life and philosophy and the country’s development activities to all. At least 12 short-films and 12 documentaries based on Banagabandhu’s life will be released, apart from web-series and international publications. The chief coordinator kept it as surprise about the details of the event, which will also witness a symbolic show of Bangabandhu’s homecoming – landing of an aircraft, welcoming with flowers, and guard of honour, among others.
Guests will arrive at 3pm, the prime minister will arrive at 4.30pm, the aircraft will land at 4.35pm, and the inauguration will take place at 5pm. Education Minister Dipu Moni said UNESCO will observe the Mujib Barsho. “They didn’t finalise the event yet,” she said. But the UN agency informed the government that they took the decision at its 40th General Assembly held at its headquarters in Paris. While highlighting the contribution of Bangabandhu in Mujib Barsho and his dream of a golden Bengal, the government will also link it to the graduation of Bangladesh in 2021.
Meanwhile, the health ministry in a statement said they have already instructed all government hospitals to set up a help desk center named as ‘Bangabandhu corner’ to offer special services to the people during the Mujib Barsho. Besides, they will also distribute free insulin among the children who suffer from insulin dependent diabetes.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen wrote a letter to all Bangladesh missions and directed them to play more active role in upholding Bangladesh’s image through exposing the successes in front of the government, business community, civil society and mass people of their respective countries.
He said observing the Mujib Barsho is an opportunity to pay ‘humble homage’ to the contribution of the Father of the Nation in shaping our identity, establishing Bangladesh as a country and Bangalee as a nation.
