Dhaka: The government is chalking out the country’s biggest-ever nationwide programme to celebrate the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the birth centenary will be celebrated even at the grassroots level from March 17, 2020 to March 26, 2021 to spread the authentic history of Bangabandhu and the Liberation War, reports the UNB.

‘We’ll also take measures for the celebrations of the birth centenary even at the grassroots level so that people can know the authentic history and the Liberation War spirit can be infused into them,’ she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing a joint meeting of the National Committee for Celebration of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Implementation Committee for Celebration of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The maiden meeting of the two committees was held at Prime Minister’s Office in the city with Sheikh Hasina, who also is the head of the National Committee for Celebration of Bangabandhu’s Birth Centenary, in the chair.

At the meeting, the committee received proposals from members of the two committees to work out elaborate programmes to celebrate ‘MujibBarsho’ (Mujib Year) from March 17, 2020 to March 26, 2021 marking the birth centenary.

The Prime Minister in her introductory speech said it is national duty to celebrate the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation properly as he had huge dedication for the well-being of the country’s people. ‘He passed the valuable time of his life in the jail,’ said Hasina, also the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu.

She said the Father of the Nation took a nation to the armed war from the non-cooperation movement motivating the people gradually, which is a rare example in the world history.

Bangabandhu had given the country’s people the political independence and also took measures for their economic emancipation, but got only three and a half years to implement the measures. 

He did huge work in every sector in such a short time, she added.

Hasina said had the dark night of August 15 not come in the life of Bengali nation, Bangladesh would have turned into a developed country many years ago.

She said there were efforts to erase the contribution of Bangabandhu to the Language Movement completely alongside wiping out his contribution to the Liberation War. But none can rub out the truth as it gets revealed finally, she added.

In her concluding speech, the Prime Minister said the measures will be taken to celebrate the birth centenary throughout the country.

Alongside the government programmes, different institutes can take separate programmes to celebrate the MujibBorsha, she said.

Hasina hinted that some other important persons will be incorporated in the two committees.

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Chairman of the Law Commission Justice ABM KhairulHaque, former finance minister AMA Muhith, National Professor Anisuzzaman, National Professor Mohammad Rafiqul Islam were on the dias.

Former principal secretary Dr Kamal Abdul NaserChowdhury, who is the member secretary of the National Committee for Celebration of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman moderated the meeting.

Earlier on February 14, the government formed the 102-member National Committee for the Celebration of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

The government also constituted the 61-member National Implementation Committee for Celebration of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. National Professor Mohammad Rafiqul Islam and PM’s former principal secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury were made the chairman and chief coordinator of the committee respectively.