Different governmental and non-governmental organisations held discussions, cultural functions, screening of documentaries and brought out processions in the city to observe the day. This year the theme was "Live and Let Live".

Speaking as chief guest at a discussion held at Dr Milon Auditorium at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Health and Family Welfare Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday disclosed that 115 more people were tested HIV positive this year raising the total to 363. Out of 57 Aids cases, 30 patients have died, Mosharraf added.

A member of National Aids Committee said that the news of 136 new HIV patients as published in different dailies on Monday was incorrect.

Suneeta Mukherjee, UNFPA's country representative in Bangla-desh, said half of the newly infected patients are youths and so the young generation should be informed about the dangers of HIV/Aids.

Though the country is a low HIV/Aids prevalence country, it is at a critical point as the condom usage rate is low here and drug abusers are among the vulnerable groups, said Dr Sunitee Acharya, WHO representative in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is bordered with India, the second largest HIV infected country in the world; the country is therefore at high risk for the HIV/Aids epidemic, said Morten Giersing, UNICEF's country representative.

An estimated 13,000 people are living with the virus in the country but the actual figure would be more taking those who are yet to be diagnosed, said MA Hadi, vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

Earlier, ASM Motiur Rahman, chairman of the National Aids Committee, presented the key-note paper on the overall scenario of the disease worldwide. Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman, director general of health department, presided over the discussion meeting.

CARE Bangladesh, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Bangladesh Medical Association, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and Bangla-desh Parliament Members Group took separate programmes to mark the day.