The countdown to the year-long celebrations of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary will begin today across the country, coinciding with his symbolic homecoming of 1972.
His daughter and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the countdown ceremony at Tejgaon’s old airport in Dhaka in the afternoon, in an ambiance mimicking the day of Bangabandhu’s homecoming.
On January 10, 1972, Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the nation who spearheaded the 1971 Liberation War, returned to an independent Bangladesh — via London and New Delhi —on a British Royal Air Force aircraft after spending 290 days in a Pakistani jail.
The plane landed at the then Dhaka airport at Tejgaon, where tens of thousands of jubilant people welcomed him.
A token aircraft (C-1303) will land there too at 4:35pm during today's countdown kick-off ceremony. Afterwards, it will be welcomed with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour at 4:45pm.
Some 150 people, including students, will participate in the token welcome ceremony of Bangabandhu near the aircraft.
The plane's door will be lit up with laser lights, which will then slowly descend through the stairs and stop at the red carpet — symbolizing and commemorating Bangabandhu’s arrival here on this day in 1972.
Shah Ali Farhad, special assistant to the prime minister who is closely working with the committee in-charge of organizing the celebrations, told Dhaka Tribune that the aircraft — same model that Bangabandhu had flown in — that is set to land here today was a gift from the British government to Bangladesh.
The committee and the Armed Forces Division will jointly organize the countdown kick-off program.
Around 5pm, Prime Minister Hasina will deliver her speech marking the day, unveil logo of Mujib Year, and inaugurate the countdown to the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary celebrations.
The birth centenary celebrations, officially termed “Mujib Borsho” or Mujib Year, will formally start on Bangabandhu’s birthday, March 17, and will continue till March 26, 2021, marking the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence Day.
Year-long programs at home and abroad will be observed with participation of the general people at the government and party levels, apart from engagement from Bangladesh’s foreign friends. Unesco will also join Bangladesh is celebrating Bangabandhu’s birth centenary.
Countdown all around
Countdown clocks are already being set up at different public places around Dhaka city, the divisional cities, districts, city corporations, and upazilas across the country, reports BSS.
Twelve city corporations are setting up the clocks at 28 points, while 83 devices are also being set up at the divisional cities, 53 districts, and two upazilas — Tungipara and Mujibnagar.
Many ministries, divisions, departments, and socio-cultural organisations along with public and private universities are also setting up countdown devices of their own.
Besides, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed all Bangladesh embassies and missions abroad to organise functions in collaboration with governments and civil societies of the host countries, as well as expatriate Bangladeshis, to celebrate the Mujib Year.
The celebrations are also being utilised as an opportunity to share the country’s recent successes and major developments with the world.
The government is putting much focus on its efforts to successfully hold the series of programs throughout Mujib Year both home and abroad, keeping its global focus on the lingering Rohingya crisis unchanged for the early repatriation of the refugees, reports UNB.
Some 2,000 guests and 10,000 spectators will be invited to join the programs, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said on January 1. The spectators had until January 7 to register online.
Programs throughout the year
Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, the chief coordinator of the committee implementing the Mujib Year celebrations, told BSS that their goal was not just to celebrate Bangabandhu’s birth centenary, “but to add a new dimension in the country’s development activities and services for building ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Bangabandhu.”
He said different socio-cultural and political organisations from grassroots to national levels, ministries and divisions have chalked out many programs to mark the Mujib Year.
“We have already selected over 299 proposals for programs, which came from both home and abroad. We are providing necessary support to implement the programs. We have formed eight subcommittees to ensure their smooth implementation,” Kamal added.
These programs include screening of short films and documentaries, introducing international award named after Bangabandhu, and the Green Factory Award.
Kamal added that numerous eminent personalities from both home and abroad will attend the Mujib Year inauguration program on March 17.
The global guests
Bangladesh has already received a long list of global leaders who will attend a series of programs during the Mujib Year celebrations.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, Indian National Congress party’s President Sonia Gandhi, Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Secretary General Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and former Unesco director general Irina Bokova are some of the global leaders who will attend the programs.
“We want to be selective for the March 17 event. We’re in discussion to select who will be our guests on March 17,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said recently.