Swapan Kumar Saha
Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, is the proud and affectionate daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of a thousand years. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the proud father of his five children --- Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Rehana and Sheikh Russel.
Bangabandhu had love and affection for his children as a good father despite his political struggles throughout the life to establish the fundamental rights of the people of the then East Pakistan. And then after the independence of Bangladesh, he devoted his sincere efforts to building the country amid local and foreign conspiracies.
But Bangabandhu could not fulfil his desire in the independent Bangladesh as he (Bangabandhu) was killed along with most of his family members except Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana by a group of disgruntled army officers being guided by some foreign countries which could not accept the independence of Bangladesh and opposed our liberation war.
Bangabandhu kept himself engaged in launching strategic movements in realizing the people's rights throughout his lifetime. Bangabandhu was a pragmatic politician and always encouraged his people to take time-befitting steps with a view to realising their demands as he could easily understand their mindsets. He was a popular and well-known politician in the sub-continent as well as European countries owing to his charismatic leadership.
His eldest daughter Sheikh Hasina inherited all his qualities along with political wisdom from her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Sheikh Hasina has also love and affection for the people and the sincerity and honesty to bring about positive changes in the country.
She also possesses the farsightedness and political wisdom necessary to steer the country towards the path of prosperity and fulfil ‘Vision 2021’. Not only that she has already proved herself as an efficient and dynamic prime minister and is successfully advancing the country by dint of his praiseworthy initiatives.
Our premier has been playing a courageous role in taking prudent
decisions even amidst such a turbulent period and is successfully
implementing her decisions overcoming all odds as she considers
her father as her idol. That is why I think that the incumbent Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina is the proud daughter and right successor
of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as she is following his footsteps
The prime minister has been playing a courageous role in taking prudent decisions even amidst such a turbulent period and is successfully implementing her decisions overcoming all odds of the country as she considers her father as her idol. That is why I think that the incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the proud and affectionate daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as she is following his footsteps.
Despite her family tragedies and carnage carried out on August 15, 1975, Sheikh Hasina has been struggling and giving sincere and relentless efforts to bring discipline in all the sectors of the country with her strong determination with a view to turning the country into ‘Sonar Bangla’ as envisioned by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
But Bangabandhu could not implement his long-cherished dream of building ‘Sonar Bangla’ as the vested quarters killed him along with his family members. Bangabandhu was killed when he initiated his second phase of plan and programmes to make Bangladesh self-reliant and ensure economic emancipation of the country in accordance with the four principles of the Independence War which were enshrined as democracy, socialism, nationalism and secularism in the pre-amble of the constitution in 1972.
After the killing of Bangabandhu, the sacred constitution which was written with the bloods of three million martyrs was scraped and distorted by the killers as guided by the perpetrators’ foreign masters and Pakistani conspirators.
It is mentionable that Bangabandhu not only gifted the countrymen a sovereign country, he also came up with a new political concept with a view to fulfilling the basic necessities of the people of a war-ravaged country. That is why Bangabandhu called for a second revolution involving people from all sectors and walks of life so that everyone could participate in the nation-building tasks.
So, Bangabandhu strategically formed a political platform known as “Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami league” (BKSAL) in January, 1975 uniting all the pro-Independence political parties aimed at developing the country. But the irony of fate for the Bangladeshi people is that even before its implementation, the conspirators killed him along with his family members on August 15, 1975.
So, Bangabandhu could not implement his dream of making the people happy and self-reliant. Because of such determination and dedication Bangabandhu will remain alive in the minds of the people as long as the world will exist.
Bangabandhu's eldest daughter Sheikh Hasina came to power for the first time in 1996 for five years. Then in 2009, she again resumed office and is now leading the country for consecutive third term. Sheikh Hasina has proved herself as the people-oriented political leader through her dynamic and far-sighted political vision and wisdom.
Bangladesh is now well-known to the world. We believe that farsighted Sheikh Hasina will fulfil his father's unfinished tasks to bring smile on the faces of poor people of the country.
At present, we are fighting against deadly coronavirus which has wreaked havoc on public lives and brought our economy to its knees. We are also facing the brunt. But we believe firmly that Bangladesh will overcome the present crisis within a short period of time under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The writer is a senior journalist.
