PM Modi to send video message for celebration marking Mujibur Rehman’s birth anniversary

Bangladeshi officials had said on March 8 that celebrations commemorating the country’s founder would be scaled down or postponed after three Coronavirus infections were detected.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will send a video message for celebrations in Bangladesh marking Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary following Dhaka’s decision to cancel public events due to the coronavirus outbreak.

PM Modi and other world leaders had been invited to join a rally on March 17 to mark the start of the celebrations. (PTI)

Bangladeshi officials had said on March 8 that celebrations commemorating the country’s founder would be scaled down or postponed after three Coronavirus infections were detected. Modi and other world leaders had been invited to join a rally on March 17 to mark the start of the celebrations.

An official statement issued on Monday said Modi would participate in the celebrations in Bangladesh on Tuesday “via video message”. People familiar with developments said the video message would be part of an event in Dhaka to be chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“Due to COVID-19, the events planned for March 17 in Bangladesh will be without any public gatherings,” the statement said.

Bangladesh’s decision to scale down the celebrations had also come against the backdrop of large-scale protests against India’s controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the communal violence in New Delhi that killed 53 people. Several Bangladeshi political parties and groups had opposed the Indian leader’s participation in the celebrations.