Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Dhaka on Friday to attend the celebrations of ‘Mujib Barsha’ and 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence.
This will be his first visit to outside India since the pandemic.
This year also marks the 50 years of India-Bangladesh relations. India helped Bangladesh in the 1971 war of independence.
Bangladesh is celebrating the Mujib Barsha marking the 100 years of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujiur Rahman’s birth.
Modi termed Bangabandhu as ‘hero of all Indians too’.
‘Mujib Coat’, the signature garment worn by Bangabandhu, will be the attire of Indian dignitaries during his visit.
Besides, a new raag composed by globally renowned Indian vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty has been dedicated to Bangabandhu as a tribute from the people of India.
It is for the first time that Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty composed a raag named “MOITREE” - India, Bangladesh friendship.
Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen, briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on Wednesday, said Prime Minister Modi’s visit is mainly focused on the twin celebrations.
Still, they are working on signing a few deals during the two-day visit. “I can’t tell you the exact number at this moment,” Dr Momen said when asked.
The relationship between the two neighbours is said to be the best at this moment.
Even during the pandemic, both countries witnessed a number of new initiatives for the benefit of people. India also provided Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh on priority basis.
The Teesta water sharing deal remained a pending issue between the countries due to the resistance of the West Bengal government. The Indian central government needs the state government’s nod to sign such a type of deal with a country.
Modi is scheduled to arrive on Friday morning by a special flight. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive him at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The guest will be honoured with the guard of honor and 19 gun slates.
He will visit the National Martyrs Memorial at Savar and Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 to pay tributes to Liberation War martyrs and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
He will attend the National Parade Ground programme on Friday afternoon and deliver his speech.
He will also jointly inaugurate Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum.
Apart from bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Modi will also visit towns outside the capital.
He will visit Tungipara to pay respect to Bangabandhu at his mausoleum. He will also visit Orakandi temple, close to Tungipara.
Besides, Modi will also go to Satkhira to visit Jeshoreshawri temple, before leaving on Saturday evening.
'Raag' on Bangabandhu
A new raag composed by globally renowned Indian vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty has been dedicated to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his birth centenary as a tribute from the people of India.
It is for the first time that Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty composed a raag named “MOITREE” - India, Bangladesh friendship.
It is a newly composed raag but with fully traditional and classical rules of raga music, said a statement.
Three compositions will be presented at the event in presence of the two Prime Ministers - Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi.
Modi will arrive in Dhaka on December 26 for a two-day visit marking the celebrations.
All the three songs (written in Sanskrit, Hindi and Bengali languages) are newly composed.
The Sanskrit one is composed by world famous Philosopher Dr. Arindam Chakraborti, professor of Hawaii University, US.
The Hindi lyric is composed by Dr. Susmita Basu Majumder and developed by Dr. Ravi Burman, a famous professor of Hindi and the Bengali song is written by Pandit Ajoy's student, young maestro and composer Anal Chatterjee.
All the three songs are musically composed by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.
The occasion of the 50 years of Independence of Bangladesh and the completion of 100 years of Bangabandhu are mentioned in all these compositions.
This unique attitude of friendship of both the countries is also mentioned in the lyrics.
Mujib Coat
Khadi, the heritage fabric of India, is all set to catch eyeballs during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Bangladesh on March 26 and 27.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has supplied 100 custom-designed “Mujib Jackets” that will be the attire of dignitaries during the visit of the Prime Minister, according to the Press Information Bureau of India.
“Mujib Jacket” is famed as the signature garment worn by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is called Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation.
As Bangladesh celebrates “Mujib Borsho”, the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, had placed an order for 100 Mujib Jackets, ahead of the PM’s visit.
The specially designed Mujib Jackets have been made of high quality handcrafted Poly Khadi fabric.
The black Mujib Jackets have been designed with 6 buttons, two pockets on the lower half and a front pocket on the left, as worn by Rahman.
In keeping with the eco-friendly nature of the Khadi fabric, the covers for these jackets too have been made of black Khadi cotton fabric with Khadi India’s logo embroidered over it.
These jackets will be carried in specially designed plastic-mixed handmade paper carry bags made at KVIC’s Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI) in Jaipur.
KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said that “Mujib Jacket is historically significant in Bangladesh and it is a matter of great pride that Mujib jackets made of Khadi will be adorned during the Bangladesh visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is the biggest brand ambassador of Khadi”.
Shri Saxena said that “Mujib jacket is an immensely popular outfit in Bangladesh. For the older generation Mujib Jacket is symbolic of the ideology of their great leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman while it has increasingly become a fashion statement for the youths of Bangladesh. Likewise, Khadi, the heritage fabric of India, is a unique blend of tradition and fashion. Mujib jackets made of Khadi will add significantly to the historical and cultural values of the celebrations”. He added that this will also promote Khadi on the global and diplomatic platform in a big way.
The diplomatic consignment has already been dispatched to Dhaka.
Since the jackets were meant for diplomatic purposes, KVIC accorded top priority to it and delivered the consignment before time, according to the Press Information Bureau.
