Dhaka, March 10 – The scheduled visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Japan on March 30 has been postponed considering the global outbreak of the COVID-19, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said yesterday.“Our prime minister had an official schedule to visit Japan on March 30. She had also a meeting with the Japanese emperor during the trip. But the tour has been postponed as Coronavirus has broken out in Japan as well,” he added.
The foreign minister came up with the statement in reply to a query of the journalists after a Bangabandhu Birth Centennial Celebration Sub-committee on International Affairs’ meeting held at the capital’s International Mother Language Institute.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to visit Japan on two-day visit accompanied by a host of business delegation to explore trade and business opportunities.
Foreign Minister said, “We have informed it to Japan that we would pay a visit there some other time. Japan has agreed on it.”
Meanwhile, the government has taken the decision to curtail the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 17.
Following such abridgement of the celebration, the government in writing has informed the foreign guests about the scaled-down celebrations.
“Under such a global situation of Coronavirus, we would celebrate the birth centenary in a different way. We have re-organised our programme. We have informed it to our foreign guests. Now they would decide whether they would come or not,” Momen said.
The main programme of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu was scheduled to be held at Parade Ground in the capital on March 17 when President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and some of the foreign guests were to attend it.
The expected guests to participate different celebrations on the occasion of Mujib Barsha were Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President of Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi.
Meanwhile, as per the Indian media report, Narendra Modi has cancelled his visit on March 17. Even the government of Bangladesh confirmed that Sonia Gandhi cancelled her trip as well.
Momen said, “We are not thinking to hold any big event on the occasion of birth centenary of Bangabandhu. We would celebrate it through digitalization including some other small events like Doa Mahfil, placing floral wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu.”
Due to the detection of three persons with positive COVID-19, the government is taking various measures to prevent the spread of the virus. – Staff Reporter
