PRESS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF DHAKA

Most Ursent From: PIO, PID, Dhaka For: Ban"gladoot, All Missions Fax: 9540553/9540026 MSG: 19l/2020-21 E-mail: [email protected] Date: Saturday, 13 March 2021 Web: wilu,. oressiFi6rm. qov 5d News Brief A 10-day special programme will begin at National Parade Ground from 17 March marking the birth centenary celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu and Golden Jubilee of the Independence. The events will be held from March 17 to March 26 following the health rules and guests from home and abroad will take part at the events. The theme of the 10-day event is 'Mujib Chirantan', but separate theme for each day has been taken. Chief Coordinator of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury informed this at a press conference at the Intemational Mother Language Institute in Dhaka yesterday. He informed, President Md. will be present on March 17, 22 and 26 and Prime Minister will be present on March 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26. Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will attend the inauguration session of the 1O-day event on March l7 as guest of honour while Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will deliver the welcome speeches through virtually. On March 19, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the event as guest of honour while Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will be present on March 22. The Chief Coordinator also informed that Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering will be present at the National Parade Ground on March 24 while Pope Francis will deliver the welcome speech through virtually. Dr Chowdhury said, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the closing day of the 10-day event on March 26 and deliver his speech. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will deliver the welcome speech on March 18, OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen will deliver speech on March 20, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on March 22 and South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Takasi Hawarkawar Son Osamu Hawakawa on March 25, he added. All programmes will be aired on television channels, online and social media in view of the current situation of Covid-19.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said, the next parliamentary elections will be held in due time following the constitution. Speaking at a regular press briefing at his residence in Dhaka yesterday he also said, Prime Minister and President Sheikh Hasina has the courage to accept the people's verdict in polls. BNP's workers are now annoyed with their leaders because of the party's aimless and wrong politics, he added. About BNP's allegation that the government made the Digital Security Act to sustain in power, the Minister said, Sheikh Hasina's government stay in power with people's confidence and love and not capitalizing on any act. Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud raised question over Begum Zia and her party's foreign love. He said, Khaleda was suffering from leg and waist pains as well are also old, but the BNP leaders are now pretending to say that her leg and waist pain is a new problem. As family members of Begum Khaleda Zia made an appeal for extension of suspended prison, the Prime Minister took steps to extend suspension of the prison of Khaleda for another six months on humanitarian grounds, the Minister added. The Information Minister said this while addressing a reception accorded to the newly listed artistes of Bangladesh Television Chattogram Center yesterday. He informed, it has been decided to set up six more stations of Bangladesh Television in other divisional cities of the country as well. The project has already been passed by the pre-ECNEC and activities will start soon, he added. Meanwhile, the Information Minister on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, handed over National Film Award and Life-time Achievement Award to artistes, marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the city yesterday. The decision to reopen the educational institutions may be reviewed if the Covid-l9 infections replying continue to rise across the country. Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni s made the remarks while to the queries of journalists in ihe capital yesterday. She said the people might have become a little reluctant to follow health rules because of the availability of the vaccine. Dr. Dipu Moni requested announced everyone to properly follow the health guidelines. Meanwhile, the government on February 27 30. that all primary, secondary, and higher iecondary educational institutions would reopen on March Indian prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Dhaka in late March solely to celebrate the golden jubilee of independence and birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' Foreign Minister br. A K Abdul Momen said this while talking to the reporters at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka yesterday. during The Minister said, no unresolved bilateral issues between Bangladesh and India will be discussed Narendra Modi's visit. pM Modi's first visit to a foreign country during the Covid-l9 period shows the height of diplomatic maturity and achievement, he added' Environment Forests and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin urged all to cooperate to protect the Saint Martin's island. He was speaking at a views exchange programme on protecting the island at the St. Martin's Marine Park Center in Cox's Bazar yesterday. Later, he inspected various activities being implemented by the Department of Environment to protect the biodiversity of St. Martin's Island. Railways Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujan addressing a gathering at the station platform after his visit to the Rohonpur Railway Station in Chapainawabganj yesterday said, Rohonpur would be turned railway into a railway port to increase business with Nepal and Bhutan. He said Rohonpur is an important this station because it has a commercial link with India and Nepal and after adding link with Bhutan to commercial route would be enriched further. The government has agreed with India to extend railway Bhutan with a view to increasing business, he added. The Minister informed, the present govemment has to intensify a plan of recruiting 10,000 to ts,O0o officers and employees within the shortest possible time thf railway services. He also visited different infrastructures and installations of Rajshahi Railway Bhaban and Rajshahi CttY. A joint meeting of ruling Awami League's Parliamentary Board and Local Government Public Represeniative Nomiiation Board will be held at Ganabhaban this morning. AL President and pailiamentary Board and Local Government Public Representative Nomination Board President and prime Minisier Sheikh Hasina will chair the meeting , a party press release said yesterday' With the death of 13 more people yesterday, the number of deaths from Covid-l9 in Bangladesh rose to g,515. At the same time r."ov..y count rose to 5,09,172, DGHS disclosed this information in a new cases, the total number of Covid-19 cases rose to press release yesterday.-54,95,908 With the detection of 1,066 5,55,222. A iotal of people have so far been registered to receive COVID-l9 vaccines till Syesterday. Total number of vaccine receivers stood at 42,18,127 ' prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a condolence message, expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Badal Das Gupta, former vice-president of Cox's Bazar district unit of AL. Badal Das Gupta passed away at his residence at the age of 82 yesterday. ,,.ffi#g;ffi,'b?'t Principal Information Offi cer Phone- 9546091