'Shaheed DrMilon Day' will be observed acrossthe countrytoday (Monday) commemorating the 33rd martyrdom anniversary of DrShamsulAlam Khan Milon, the then joint secretary general of BangladeshMedical Association (BMA).
DrMilon, who was also a lecturer of Dhaka Medical College (DMC), was killedby the goons of military junta near the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of DhakaUniversity at the height of anti-autocracy movement on the day in 1990.
The supreme sacrifice of DrMilon
transformed the anti-autocracy movementinto a mass upsurge that prompted the fall of the then autocratic regimepaving the way for restoration of democracy in the country.
On the eve of the day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina issued separate messages recalling the supreme sacrifice of DrMilon for the cause of restoration of democracy.
In his message, the President expected that the new generation will involvethemselves in the democratic practice being imbued with the ideology of DrMilon.
"Democracy and development are complementary to each other. In order toensure sustainable development, the progress of democracy must also beaccelerated," he said.
The President said DrMilon was a bright star in democratic movement ofBangladesh. Democracy was restored in 1990 in exchange of sacrifice of manypeople's lives like DrMilon.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, paid rich tributes to thememory of DrMilon on his 33rd martyrdom anniversary.
She said DrShamsulAlam Khan Milon is one of the main leaders in the anti-autocracy movement in the 1990s, adding, "The anti-autocracy movement got newspeed through the supreme sacrifice of DrMilon."
"On the day, emergency was declared, but denying the emergency and curfew,students and mass people brought out processions on the streets severaltimes. Later, the autocratic ruler was forced to step down and democracy wasrestored," Sheikh Hasina said.
Apart from DrMilon, she said, many democracy-loving people, including JuboLeague leader Nur Hossain, Nurul Huda, Babul and Fattah had to sacrificetheir lives for the movement for restoring democracy.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina prayed foreternal peace of the departed soul of DrMilon.
Different political parties, socio-cultural organisations and professionalbodies have chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day.
Like previous years, Awami League (AL) has taken programmes to observe MilonDay. The programmes include offering Fateha and special prayers, placingwreaths at the grave of DrMilon on the Dhaka Medical College campus at 9am.
AL general secretary and road transport and bridges minister ObaidulQuader,in a statement, has urged party leaders and workers to observe Milion day ina befitting manner.
JatiyaSamajtantrik Dal's programmes include placing wreaths at the grave ofDrMilon on the Dhaka Medical College campus at 8am and Shaheed DrMilionmemorial plaque near Dhaka University TSC at 8.30pm and holding a discussionmeeting at Colonel Taher auditorium at Bangabandhu Avenue at 3pm.
