TV, social media to get priority in ‘Mujib Year’ celebration
The grand inaugural ceremony that was scheduled for March 17 at the National Parade Ground has been postponed
The government has decided to focus more on television and social media-based programmes to celebrate the inaugural events of "Mujib Year" amid concerns over the novel coronavirus.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Implementation Committee for Birth Centenary Celebration of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital on Monday afternoon.
While briefing the reporters after the meeting chief coordinator of the committee after the meeting, Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury said they have decided to spread the celebration messages to the grassroots-level through television and social media to avoid public gatherings.
"We have decided to arrange all the programmes in small-scale. Even, programmes in educational institutions across the country will be limited so that public gatherings can be avoided," he added.
On Sunday, the government decided to shorten the "Mujib Year" programmes amid the growing concerns over coronavirus.
During a meeting of the implementation committee in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana at Gano Bhaban, it was decided that the key events would be postponed.
The grand inaugural ceremony was scheduled for March 17 at the National Parade Ground.
Kamal Abdul Naser also said foreign guests would not join the March 17 inaugural programmes, instead they will attend the other programmes planned to be held round the year.
Heads of the government of different countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were expected to join the inaugural event of Mujib Year celebrations.
"The foreign minister will inform you about the visits of the foreign guests tomorrow," said Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury.
When asked about the strategy regarding the Independence Day programmes, Kamal Chowdhury said the government plans to observe the Independence Day programmes on a shorter scale.
On Sunday, Bangladesh diagnosed its first cases of the novel coronavirus as three persons – including two members of one family – have been infected with the virus.
Two of the infected persons recently returned from Italy. The other one is a family member of one of them, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) informed the media on Sunday.
