On the occasion of the 100th birthday of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh on Tuesday received warm greetings from the heads of state and government of different countries.
Their messages sent to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, and the people of the country also paid rich tributes to the Father of the Nation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to pay tributes to Bangabandhu via a tweet, in which he said that “Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is remembered for his courage and indelible contribution to Bangladesh’s progress.”
A tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. https://t.co/9R5xU2cish
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 17, 2020
In a video message, broadcast during the Mujib Year inauguration program, later in the evening, he also said Bangabandhu was one of the greatest personalities of the last century. "His entire life is a tremendous inspiration for all of us."
"Bangabandhu means – a leader of courage, a man of conviction, a sage of peace, a champion of justice, equality and dignity, a hand of defiance against brutality, and, a shield against coercion," he said.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also congratulated Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh government and the country’s people on Bangabandhu’s birth centenary.
In a tweet posted in the evening, he said: “I would like to send my warm wishes to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the government and people of Bangladesh on this 100th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
I would like to send my warm wishes to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the government and people of Bangladesh on this 100th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Through his life and work, he set an example for the entire world.
— Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) March 17, 2020
“Through his life and work, he set an example for the entire world.”
Other than them, Nepal’s President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, OIC Secretary General Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, and Chief Minister of Indian State of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb also greeted Bangladesh on the occasion.
Although the government had earlier planned large-scale events to celebrate Mujib Year, it later was forced to scale down the inauguration fanfare by revising the schedule in light of the coronavirus outbreak here and around the world.
Most of the programs were rearranged for indoors to avoid public gatherings. The original plan for the grand Mujib Year inaugural ceremony on March 17 at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka was also postponed.
Tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his birth anniversary. He is remembered for his courage and indelible contribution to Bangladesh’s progress.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 17, 2020
This evening, via video link, will address Bangabandhu’s 100th Birth Anniversary celebrations being held in Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/uqAxL0h4F6
The decision was also the result of the viral disease being declared pandemic, with many countries already coming under a lockdown as death toll from and cases of Covid-19 patients keep spiralling.
A number of heads of government of different countries were invited to join the March 17 ceremony, but many of them cancelled their visits under the circumstances.
However, they will be invited again when a fresh schedule is finalized, said officials, adding that other programs would continue throughout the year on a small scale.
The decision to limit event sizes was aimed to avoid public gathering, in an effort to prevent the new coronavirus strain from spreading further.
