The Bengali nation observed National Mourning Day on Saturday with rich tributes in remembering Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated along with most of his family members, and many of his relatives in one of the worst massacres in world history, 45 years ago on August 15 in 1975.
The killers, a group of rogue army soldiers, did not spare even a 10-year-old boy, and a pregnant woman during the carnage.
However, Bangabandhu’s two daughters Sheikh Hasina, who is now the Prime Minister, and Sheikh Rehana escaped the massacre as they were abroad at the time.
The marauders killed the Father of the Nation along with his wife Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, younger brother Sheikh Abu Naser, nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni and brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, Moni’s wife Begum Arju Moni and Serniabat’s daughter Baby, son Arif and grandson Sukanto Babu.
Bangabandhu’s security chief, Col Jamiluddin Ahmed, police Special Branch Sub-Inspector Siddiqur Rahman, three guests and four domestic helps were the others to fall.
The assassination of Bangabandhu, the architect of the independence of Bangladesh, on that dark night, also opened a dark chapter in Bangladesh’s history with around one and a half decades of military dictatorship marked by bloody coups and counter-coups.
Bangabandhu was buried at his birthplace Tungipara in Gopalganj, but other family members were buried at the Banani graveyard in Dhaka.
The nation, however, started observing the month of mourning from August 1, recalling the most brutal killing in its history and renewing the pledge to safeguard perpetually the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Like in previous years, the government, ruling Bangladesh Awami League, and different other political and socio-cultural organisations, educational institutions and professional groups chalked out elaborate programmes to pay the utmost respect to the greatest son of the soil on the day of his martyrdom.
Yesterday was a public holiday. The national flags remained hoisted at half-mast atop the buildings of all government, semi-government, autonomous, educational institutions and private offices.
Not only in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, to commemorate the independence hero various programmes were also arranged around the globe.
As part of the state programme, the Prime Minister paid homage to the architect of the independence by placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 in the capital early in the morning.
After paying tributes to Bangabandhu, the Prime Minister, along with her daughter Saima Wazed Hossain visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum which witnessed the world’s most barbaric carnage on the date 45 years ago.
Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, and many of the ministers and party leaders were present, among others, during the homage.
From Dhanmondi, the Prime Minister later went to Banani Graveyard where her mother Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib, brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell and other martyrs of August 15 were laid to eternal rest.
She placed floral wreaths and spread flower petals on their graves. She also offered Fateha and doa seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of August 15, 1975.
After the Prime Minister’s tribute, the place was opened for the public to pay homage to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
People of different classes and professions started paying homage to Bangabandhu from 8:30 am.
Among others, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Food, Ministry of Labour, Dhaka University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University(BSMMU), Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Jagannath University, University Grants Commission, National University, Open University, Bangla Academy, Public Library Department, organisation of the children of freedom fighters, various parties and organisations of Gopalganj including district association and Christian association paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu with floral wreaths.
However, the government and other organisations observed all the programmes on a limited scale considering the coronavirus situation.
People attended the National Mourning Day programmes wearing masks and by maintaining physical distancing.
In separate messages, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina prayed for those killed in the carnage.
Hamid said the day is regarded as a ‘scandalous chapter’ in the history of the nation. Though the assassins killed the Father of the Nation, they ‘could not wipe out the principle and ideal of this great man,’ he said.
“On the National Mourning Day, let us translate our grief into strength and devote ourselves to building ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt of by the Father of the Nation,” the President added.
In her message, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina said, “Together, we have to remain prepared to resist any evil-attempt by the anti-liberation communal group, and anti-development and anti-democracy forces.”
“The killers were able to assassinate Bangabandhu but they could not kill his dreams and ideals. Let the glory and ideals of the Father of the Nation’s sacrifice be reflected through our actions in the Mujib Year,” she said.
The prime minister urged the countrymen to turn the grief of the loss of Bangabandhu into strength and engage themselves in building a non-communal, hunger-poverty free and prosperous Bangladesh by upholding Bangabandhu’s philosophy.
“This should be our solemn pledge on this National Mourning Day,” she said.
It should be mentioned that six of the 12 condemned-to-death killers have so far been hanged after decades of a wait for justice. It took 21 years to start the case--only when the Awami League returned to power in 1996. Five of the convicted killers are reportedly hiding abroad.
