The ideology of the great Liberation War was foiled through the assassination of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, while the nation lost everything, and Bangladesh lost all possibilities.
Immediately after the August 15 barbaric killing, two intrinsic tenets like 'socialism' and 'secularism' were removed from the Constitution, and fundamentalism was added to it. State religion ‘Islam’ had been written in the constitution and Bangladesh had lost all potentials of the liberation war that wanted to be a non-communal country. Foreign Minister, Dr AK Abdul Momen, made the comments to Bangladesh Post regarding the impact of the assassination of Bangabandhu.
The minister said, “In 1971, when we achieved independence, Bangabandhu had one dream, and this is now our dream. He translated his dream among all his followers. He wanted to make Bangladesh ‘Sonar Bangla’, golden Bengal, it would be a country that is prosperous; it would be a land of peace and stability where no one would be discriminated. Where everyone will have the guarantee to have food, shelter, accommodation, education and healthcare. It would be a country where every citizen will have equal opportunity and right to vote. This is Bangabandhu’s vision and this vision is applicable till today,” he continued. The minister also said, “Bangabandhu had liberated the country for ensuring political, economic, social and cultural freedom of the Bengali nation.”
Bangabandhu had wanted the people to be free from poverty and get a better life, live beautifully and move keeping their heads high, he added. Bangabandhu was not only a leader, he was a dynamic leader to move the country ahead. After the assassination of Bangabandhu, the country lagged behind in all sectors including social, economic, diplomatic, political and cultural. Now, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is continuing to serve the countrymen by upholding the ideology of Bangabandhu and sacrificing all things. She is working relentlessly to build a hunger-and-poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt of by Bangabandhu. Bangabandhu shed blood for the country and people, and his debt will be repaid by changing the fate of the people.
Muhammad Zamir, a former career diplomat, who worked as Ambassador in various countries recalled his memories of Bangabandhu that occurred in his presence He said, “This country has not only just lost a leader, but also the greatest man that could not be produced in the last thousand years. But, we have managed to recover by the amazing leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.” Zameer recalled Fidel Castro’s remark, who after embracing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Non-Aligned Summit in Algiers in 1973,had said “I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib, who is taller in personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas.” Former Bangladesh Bank Governor Mohammed Farashuddin, who was also the Personal Secretary of Bangabandhu said that the incumbent government is fulfilling the dream of the father of the nation. Farashuddin said, “In Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh about 60 million people out of 75 million people were under the poverty line. Now, in Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh out of 165 million people, only 35 million people are living below the poverty line, this is the success.” Moreover, the main impact after the assassination of Bangabandhu was the rise of corruption in every sector under the patronization of the then government. It would be mentionable that the then government led by Khandaker Moshtaq issued an Indemnity Ordinance on September 26, 1975, which exempted killers of August 15 from trial. According to the ordinance, trial would not be applicable on the killers of Bangabandhu and his family members. On April 9, 1979, Ziaur Rahman gave legality to all ordinances under military law, including the Indemnity Ordinance, through the 5th amendment to the constitution. Earlier, Major Zia had given jobs to main murderers of Bangabandhu in different embassies around the world.
