The historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all time, was observed Monday across the country in a befitting manner.
Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the nation and supreme commander of the country's Liberation War, returned to the sacred soil of independent Bangladesh via London and New Delhi on January 10 in 1972, after 290 days of confinement in Pakistan jail.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee and the ruling Awami League (AL) chalked out elaborate programmes marking the day.
The day's programmes started with hoisting the National and party flags atop the AL central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban, and party offices across the country in the morning.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi here this morning.
After laying the wreath, the prime minister stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of the independence.
Later, senior AL leaders paid glowing tribute to Bangabandhu by placing another wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban.
AL Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahmam, joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organizing secretaries Ahmed Hossain and BM Mozammel Haque, publicity and publication secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, cultural affairs secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, science and technology affairs secretary Abdus Sabur, deputy office secretary Sayem Khan and Central Working Committee members ABM Riazul Kabir Kawsar and Anwar Hossain were present on the occasion, among others.
After paying the homage, Nanak said the independence achieved through the nine-month-long bloody war was fulfilled through Bangabandhu's return to his homeland.
In absence of Bangabandhu, under the leadership of his able daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the country is moving fast towards becoming the 'Sonar Bangladesh' dreamt by Bangabandhu, he said.
Bangabandhu's Bangladesh will yield its success being established as the 'Sonar Bangla' under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the AL leader added.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Hasan said on the 50th anniversary of Bangabandhu's return to his homeland, the holy soul of Bangabandhu is surely feeling peace as now Bangladesh has come a long way in fulfilling Bangabandhu's dream under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.
"Bangladesh is now a middle income and food surplus country. Under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has been established as a dignified state in the world," he added.
Besides, Dhaka city north and south units of AL, Jubo League, Bangladesh Krishak League, Awami Swechchhasebak League, Mohila Awami League, Jubo Mohila League, Jatiya Sramik League, Bangladesh Chhatra League and different other organizations also placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu.
Marking the day, a discussion was held in a limited scale maintaining health guidelines at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office in the afternoon.
Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina addressed the discussion through a videoconferencing from her official Ganabhaban residence here.
Besides, an AL delegation paid glowing tribute to the undisputed leader of the nation by placing wreaths at his grave in Tungipara at 11:20am today.
AL presidium member Lt Col Muhammad Faruk Khan led the delegation.
Central Working Committee member Abul Hasnat Abdullah, AL organising secretaries Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan and Advocate Afzal Hossain, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua and State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury were among the delegation members.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee arranged a programme titled 'Father of the Nation in the Liberated Homeland (Mukto Swadeshe Jatir Pita)', which was broadcast live on all television channels, online and social media at 3pm today from Shaheed Manirul Alam Auditorium of the Bangladesh Television here.
Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the programme virtually joining from her official residence Ganabhaban in the city.
Poems written by Sheikh Rehana, Bangabandhu's younger daughter, on her parents were recited in the function while a discussion on the significance of Bangabandhu's homecoming was also held.
Besides, all district, city, upazila, thana, union and ward level units of AL, its associate and likeminded bodies organized identical programmes coinciding with the central programme marking the day.
Marking the day, the Liberation War Affairs Ministry brought out a rally from the government transport pool premises in the city at 11am. Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque led the rally.
On the night of March 25, 1971, Pakistan army arrested Bangabandhu from his Dhanmondi residence and sent him to a West Pakistani jail the following day.
Bangabandhu was subjected to inhuman torture in the Pakistan jail where he had been counting moments for the execution of his death sentence that was pronounced in a farcical trial.
"I was a prisoner in the condemned cell awaiting hanging. From the day I went into jail, I didn't know whether I was to live or not. I was mentally ready to die. But I knew Bangladesh would be liberated," Bangabandhu spoke emotionally about his ordeal in Pakistani prison at a news conference in London.
On the Pakistani army's slaughter of Bengalis, Mujib declared: "If Hitler could have been alive today, he would be ashamed."
Earlier on March 26 in 1971, Bangabandhu proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh and urged people from all walks of life to participate wholeheartedly in the nation's War of Liberation.
Immediately after the proclamation of independence, Bangabandhu was arrested by Pakistani military junta and then flown to West Pakistan to keep him in prison there.
Though the final victory in the nine-month-long bloody War of Liberation was achieved defeating Pakistani occupation forces on December 16 in 1971, the nation's expectations were fulfilled and the people got the real taste of victory with the homecoming of Bangabandhu on January 10, 1972.
On reaching Dhaka (Tejgaon) airport in the afternoon on January 10, Bangabandhu was greeted by tens of thousands of jubilant people who had been eagerly waiting to see their beloved leader since the final victory on December 16 in 1971.
From airport Bangabandhu was moved to the Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) where he addressed a spontaneous reception accorded to him by the cheerful countrymen believed to be one million.
He recalled with respect the contribution of all during the war and urged the people to rebuild the war-ravaged country.
Bangabandhu took oath of office as the country's Prime Minister on January 12, 1972.