The Bangladesh Olympic Association put all its energy to make the opening ceremony of the eighth Bangladesh Games a gala event, as glamorous as the one seen at
the 2010 SA Games and 2011 ICC World Cup, said the officials.
The much talked-about opening ceremony, scheduled to be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday, will feature a thematic drama show which will showcase the history and culture of Bangladesh.
Around 2, 500 volunteers, students, workers and members of the armed forces will be involved in the 100-minute long gala show, which will start at 7:00pm on the day.
The opening ceremony is expected to be watched by 25,000 spectators, a third of whom will be invited guests of the BOA. Initially it was decided that there will be no space for common fans, but the BOA backtracked from the decision and made it open for all.
`The Bangladesh Games will resume after 11 years and keeping that in mind we are trying our best to meet the expectations of entire nation,’ said lieutenant colonel Mohammed Kamrul Hasan, the member-secretary of the ceremonies committee, on Thursday.
Hasan claimed that the ceremony will be as good as the opening of the SA Games and Cricket World Cup, which left a lasing memory among the sports lovers.
Unlike the SA Games
and Cricket World Cup, the Bangladesh Games opening, however, will not feature any international stars and will mainly focus on Bangladesh’s culture and history.
The day’s programme will start with a pre-show at 4:00pm with the participation of disc jockey Rahat and Jenifa. A 400-member band, comprised of defence personnel, will follow them on stage. They will put the national memorial and other national heritage monuments on display.
After a break for Maghrib prayers, an audio-visual display will highlight the sporting achievements of this country. The chief guest of the opening ceremony, prime minister Sheikh Hasina, will arrive at 7:00pm and the official programme will start immediately with the national anthem which will be performed by Rizwana Chowdhury Bannya and her 100 students of Surer Dhara music school.
The singers of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra will also join them in singing the national anthem.
All participating athletes will march into the field after the national anthem and country’s fastest man and woman Mohan Khan and Nazmunnahar Beauty will take oath on behalf of them.
‘Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will formally declare the Games open by putting her signature on a digital board, which will be celebrated with some fireworks,’ said Col Hasan.
`It will then be followed by a performance of the Games Mascot `Tarunnya’ and a special lighting of the torch by five legendary athletes along with Jumman Lusai, who will be the main torch bearer. The programme will include a laser show which will be one of the main attractions of the opening ceremony.
`Shankar Shajwal, a famous TV personality, will lead a 600-mamber team, who will perform a 20-minute long thematic drama where they will showcase the history of the country along with its independence, the historic March 7 speech, Swadhin Bangla Football team, recollection of the Everest conquerors and the nation’s gradual involvement with the sports. Then the Games theme song will be sung by Subir Nandi, Shakila Zafar, Partho Barua, Bappa Mazumder, Fahmida Nabi and Kona during which the National Flag will be displayed throughout the whole stadium.
`The Opening ceremony will come to an end with a 10-minute display of fireworks,’ Col Hasan said.
-With New Age input
