Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a strong shell outside but inside he was like a young boy, whose heart bled watching the sufferings of the common people whenever he went. Since his early years he vowed to work to mitigate the pain of the people. Joining politics offered him the opportunity to come close to the people.
People found him a charismatic person, tall and handsome, smiling broadly with them but then again shedding tears hearing their tales of poverty. Referring to his height, Newsweek magazine had written that he was tall for a Bengali (5 feet 11 inches). The magazine had also written that he could attract a million people to his rallies and cast a spell on them as they listened to him for hours together.
Someone had said, “He is a poet of politics” and a larger than life persona. He walked tall and confident amidst great world leaders like Fidel Castro, Marshal Tito, Andre Marlaux, Curt Waldheim, Ne Win, Colonel Gaddafi et al. He looked in the eye of Henry Kissinger when he met the US Secretary of State in a meeting.
Interestingly, Bangabandhu’s historic 7 March speech has been recognised as “World's all time best” among other speeches like Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg speech and Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream.’
It may be mentioned that Fidel Castro had compared Mujib to the Himalaya's In 1973, Embracing Mujib, he had remarked, “I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas.” Bangabandhu loved sports and played football in his free time. He grew up in rural Bangladesh and loved the pristine nature. Swimming in the river and playing in the rain was his favourite pastime in the youthful days.