Bangladesh postpones 'Mujib Year' grand inaugural ceremony after 3 coronavirus cases

Banglesh has decided to postpone March 17 grand inaugural ceremony of birth centenary celebrations of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hours after three coronavirus cases were detected in country.

year-long celebrations were scheduled to open amid massive festivities at National Pare Ground in Dhaka on March 17 and was expected to be attended by several foreign dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, Modi will w t attend ceremony, sources said on Monday in New Delhi.

" planned celebrations for Mujib Year have been rearranged in view of worldwide outbreak of coronavirus," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters on Sunday.

"We will convey about rearrangement of planned opening of celebrations to foreign dignitaries, leaving it to m if y would come," he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh directed organisers to scale down planned festivities, but new venue for inauguration of celebrations is yet to be decided, chief coordinator of celebration committee Kamal Abdul Naser told reporters.

Banglesh has also invited former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to dress an extraordinary parliamentary session to mark celebrations.

"re will be an opening function avoiding mass garing," Naser said referring to premier's directive at meeting at her official Gabhaban residence.

He said foreign dignitaries, including hes of state who were scheduled to attend opening, were w expected to join Mujib Year celebrations at a convenient time during year-long celebrations.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman served as first President of Banglesh and later as Prime Minister of Banglesh from April 17, 1971 until his assassination on August 15, 1975.

He is considered to be driving force behind independence of Banglesh. He is popularly dubbed with title of "Bangabandhu" (Friend of Bengal) by people of Banglesh. His daughter Sheikh Hasina is current Prime Minister of Banglesh.

Banglesh on Sunday reported three cases of coronavirus. Two persons brought disease from Italy, infecting third one on ir return home, officials said.

infections, first reported cases in country, have come four days after Dhaka restricted entry of people from major coronavirus-prone countries without a virus-free medical certificate. PTI AR AMS NSA AMS