Shawdesh Desk:

All preparations are set to begin a two-day World Peace Conference-2021 in Dhaka today, marking the ongoing birth centenary celebrations of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as part of advancing peace through social inclusion.

President Abdul Hamid will inaugurate the conference this afternoon, which is expected to bring together global thinkers, writers, poets, singers and political personalities to promote a culture of peace and tolerance.

The conference will look back on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s vision and political struggle for peace.

The Father of the Nation, who was a proponent of peace and addressing problems with dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution to conflicts, was awarded the medal on May 23, 1973. It was the first international award to the newly-independent Bangladesh.

The peace conference will be organised with participation of progressive personalities and intellectuals who are promoting peace in the world.

As the chief guest, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the closing ceremony of the conference tomorrow. Both the President and the Prime Minister will join the event virtually.

The conference, to be held in a hybrid format through both physical and virtual participation, will also shed light on the legacy being carried forward by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her “untiring quest” for building a peaceful, just, rights-based, inclusive and prosperous nation.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said earlier Bangladesh will get a special document through adoption of “Dhaka Peace Declaration”, which will work as a reference for Bangladesh’s all peace and security-related global initiatives to be taken in the future.

Bangladesh has not invite any head of state or government to the conference but invited peace activists, writers, poets, singers and civil society members from different countries to join the conference.

Representatives from 50 countries are expected to join the conference both virtually and in person. Organisers said around 60 participants from over 30 countries will join in person while around 40 guests virtually. Some of the guests will send video messages. Guests who were scheduled to come from South Africa will now join virtually.    On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Independence of Bangladesh and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh celebrates five decades of its peace-centric diplomacy aimed at promoting sustainable development, fundamental rights and freedoms, and social justice and inclusion.

Prominent Speakers are expected to participate are:  former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Prime Minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown,  former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Irina Bokova, former President of East Timor José Ramos-Horta, Chairman of World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Albar, Rector of University for Peace; Surichai Wun’Gaeo Francisco Rojas Aravena, Director of Center for Peace and Conflict Studies Chulalongkorn University, Chair of Sydney Peace Foundation Archie Law,  Managing Editor of the European Security Journal Simone Neads, Vice Chancellor of University of Colombo in Sri Lanka Chandrika N Wijeyaratne.

A good number of panel discussions will be held during the 2-day conference, which will be participated by intellectuals, educationists, eminent personalities and the people of high stature of the world who are dedicated to establishing peace in the world.

The conference will conclude with “Dhaka Peace Declaration, 2021”.