India prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (26) donned a black 'Mujib jacket' made of handcrafted Khadi fabric as he paid tribute to 'Bangabandu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the main event in Dhaka to mark the country’s 50 years of independence.
An immensely popular outfit in Bangladesh, the Mujib jacket is a tailored high-necked sleeveless coat for men with two pockets on the lower half, a front pocket on the left part and five or six buttons.
The coat used to be the signature garment worn by 'Bangabandhu', the founding father of Bangladesh.
A recent press release issued by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises said the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has supplied 100 custom-designed 'Mujib jackets' that will be the attire of dignitaries during the prime minister's Bangladesh visit.
As Bangladesh celebrates “Mujib Borsho”, the birth centenary of Rahman, Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, had placed an order for 100 Mujib jackets, ahead of the prime minister's visit, it said.
The specially designed jackets have been made of high quality handcrafted Poly Khadi fabric. The black Mujib jackets have been designed with 6 buttons, two pockets on the lower half and a front pocket on the left, as worn by Rahman.
In keeping with the eco-friendly nature of the Khadi fabric, the covers for these jackets too have been made of black Khadi cotton fabric with Khadi India’s logo embroidered over it.
During the National Day event, prime minister Modi handed over the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020, being conferred by India upon Rahman, to his daughters -- Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana.
'This is one of the most memorable days of my life. I am grateful that Bangladesh has included me in this event. I am grateful that Bangladesh has invited India to take part in this function. It is a matter of our pride that we got the opportunity to honour Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with Gandhi Peace Prize,' said Modi.
The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the government of India since 1995, the 125th birth anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 was conferred on Bangabandhu early this week. It was for the first time that the award was given away posthumously.
Modi arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day visit to attend the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the country's independence, the birth centenary of Rahman and hold talks with his counterpart Hasina.
