The nation is ready to launch the yearlong celebrations of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today (Tuesday). The day is a public holiday. Bangabandhu, the architect of independent Bangladesh, was born in a respected Muslim family at Tungipara village in then Gopalganj sub-division on March 17, 1920. He was the third child of his parents, Sheikh Lutfur Rahman and Saira Khatun. He had four sisters and a brother.

Marking the day, the government and semi-government organisations, the ruling Awami League, its associate bodies and different social and cultural bodies have undertaken elaborate preparations to celebrate Bangabandhu’s 100th birth anniversary.

The programmes chalked by the ruling Awami League includes paying respect to the Father of the Nation at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 at 7am by placing wreaths at his portrait in the morning.

Other programmes included hoisting of party flags atop AL offices across the country, at Bangabandhu Bhaban and at the AL’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office.

Besides, a delegation of the party’s central working committee, led by AL president Sheikh Hasina, will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his mazar (shrine) at Tungipara in Gopalganj and join a doa mahfil (special prayer) today.

Special prayers will be arranged at all religious institutions across the country while orphans and destitute people will be distributed special foods.

Fireworks will be arranged at 8.30 pm simultaneously across the country, including in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban and the AL Bangabandhu Avenue central office, Rabindra Sarobar, Hatirjheel, the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) on Dhaka University campus, and Jatiya Sangsad.

Under the initiative of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee, special TV programmes will be aired simultaneously on all electronic media channels after 8.30 pm.