Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is coming to Bangladesh on a two-day visit on Friday.
He will join the celebrations of 50 years of independence and birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Many foreign leaders are expected to arrive in Dhaka to take part in the celebrations, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on March 13.
Bangladesh is looking forward to sign many agreements and MoUs with a number of countries during the visits of their heads of state and government, including that of India.
A 10-day special programme kicked off in the city’s national parade square ground on March 17, marking Bangabandhu’s birth centenary and the Golden Jubilee of Independence.
The programmes, themed ‘Mujib Chirontan’, are being arranged maintaining all precautions as local and foreign guests will participate.
President Abdul Hamid was present on March 17. He will be present on March 22 and 26 as well, while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the programmes on March 19, 22, 24 and 26. She attended the March 17 programme.
Heads of state and government of different countries will be present as guests of honour at the programmes on March 19, 22, 24 and 26.
President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was present as the guest of honour on March 17.
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa will be present at the programme on March 19, President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari on March 22, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering on March 24 and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on March 26.
Besides, recorded speeches from heads of state and government of different countries, the chiefs of international organisations and prominent persons will be screened in the events of other five days.
Television channels, online media and social media will broadcast the programmes live every day.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will deliver welcome speeches at the programme on March 17, while Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 18, OIC Secretary General Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen on March 20, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on March 22, Pope Francis on March 24, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Japanese friend of Bangladesh Takashi Hayakawa’s son Osamu Hayakawa on March 25.
The programme will begin at 4:30pm and conclude at 8pm on March 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26. On the other five days, it will start at 5:16pm and end at 8pm.
