PM to administer nationwide oath on Victory Day

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will administer an oath to the nation as part of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary and Bangladesh's Independence Golden Jubilee celebrations on 16 December, officials said.

"The prime minister will conduct the nationwide swearing-in ceremony at 4:30pm on 16 December," chief coordinator of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury told a media briefing.

Emerging from a meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat with home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the chair, he said the premier would conduct the ceremony from the Jatiya Sangsad South Plaza to mark the birth centenary and golden jubilee celebrations.

Chowdhury said the National Implementation Committee would stage the event spanning over two days with its title being 'Great Hero of the Great Victory', while its inauguration on the Victory Day is scheduled to be joined as well by Indian President Shri Ram Nath Kovind.

He said the two-day programme was designed to reflect the country's culture, nature and environment and progress of 50 years.

He said the inaugural-day function would be marked by military parades at the National Parade Square in the city with troops from six countries to stage the march past and added that the names of the participating countries would be disclosed later.

President M Abdul Hamid would join his Indian counterpart and the premier at the event to be featured by a two-day discussion. 

"We are passing through an extraordinary time in the history," he said.

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, Jatiya Sangsad Whip Iqbalur Rahim, Security Division Secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Inspector General of Police Dr Benazir Ahmed and high officials of the law enforcement agencies were present in the discussion.