The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will jointly celebrate 'Mujib Barsho' with Bangladesh next year, marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced this while chairing a preparatory meeting on celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation held at Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Wednesday (Nov 27), reports BSS.

Speaking at the meeting, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni said the UNESCO took the decision unanimously to celebrate 'Mujib Barsho' jointly with Bangladesh at the plenary session of its 40th General Assembly held in the UNESCO Headquarters, Paris on Nov 25.

The education minister said UNESCO Secretary General Audrey Azoulay and General Assembly President Altay Cengizer as well as chairpersons of different committees and commissions were present at the plenary session.

It was informed at the preparatory meeting on celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation that the opening ceremony of the yearlong national programmes on “Mujib Barsho” will be held at the National Parade Square in the capital on March 17.

Addressing the meeting, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said: “The function will have to be linked with our culture and heritage … Bangabandhu is a son of this soil, so it (ceremony) cannot be turned into ‘rangchata’ (variegated) programme.”

Hasan continued: “Our aim is to highlight our culture, and from that outlook, Noor Bhai (Asaduzzaman Noor) and Lucky Bhai (Liakat Ali Lucky) have been given the responsibility (to make the opening function successful)”.

“So I think that the function will be held under the implementation committee, not any event management committee. However, the event management committee could cooperate in this regard,” the information minister added.

At the outset of the meeting, Chief Coordinator of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury highlighted various aspects of the birth centenary programmes of the Father of the Nation through a power point presentation.

He said the inaugural function will begin at 4 pm on March 17 at the National Parade Square.

The function includes fly past under the Armed Forces Division, performing instrumental songs by 100 artistes, performing of theme songs in Bangla and English, 55-minute cultural function and laser show, Kamal said.

He said, “Sraddha Smarak” will be handed over to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangabandhu’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana.

Kamal said President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will deliver their speeches at the opening function and later the premier will inaugurate the programmes of the Mujib Barsho.

Besides, he said, some heads of state and government will address the function.

After the power point presentation, the prime minister gave various directives to make the Mujib Barsho programmes successful.