Nation begins 10-day Bangabandhu Birth Centenary, Independence Golden Jubilee celebrations

The nation on Wednesday began a 10-day nationwide celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Birth Centenary coinciding with the Golden Jubilee of 1971 Independence with a grand ceremony at the National Parade Square.

President Abdul Hamid, his wife Rashida Khanam and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined the ceremony along with visiting Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and his spouse Fazna Ahmed while the national anthem sang collectively by 100 young children marked the grand opening of the celebrations at the Parade Square.

The children then sang in chorus of several songs of Biswa Kabi Rabindranath Tagore, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and several others at the function, joined among others by Bangabandhu’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana, chaired by Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of the country’s founder.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and famous British journalist Mark Talley sent congratulatory messages on the first day function at the Parade Square where verses of Holy Quran and scripts of followers of other faiths were recited.

Presentation of video footages of Bangabandhu’s historic addresses and comments were displayed at the function where national-level singers along with young artistes sang the Mujib Year’s theme song titled “Tumi Banglar Dhrubo Tara and Banglar Batighar” authored by poet Kamal Chowdhury and composed by Nakib Khan.

Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana also joined the chorus.-BSS