BSS, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon all to take a vow in the Mujib Year to take Bangladesh to newer heights in the international arena and transform the country into a safe and peaceful abode for the next generation.
“In the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, let us all resolve to take Bangladesh to even higher heights in the international arena; let us determine to transform Bangladesh into a safe and peaceful home for our next generation,” she said in a message on Tuesday marking the ‘Mujib Year’.
The premier said her government is working tirelessly to build a hunger-and poverty-free developed and prosperous Bangladesh as envisioned by the Father of the Nation by formulating and implementing ‘Vision-2021’, ‘Vision-2041’ and ‘Delta Plan-2100’.
On the occasion of celebration of the birth centenary of independent Bangladesh’s architect and the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she extended her heartiest greetings to all the citizens of Bangladesh, expatriate Bangladeshis and people of the world.
The Mujib Year has been declared from March 2020 to December 2021 to highlight the life and works of the Father of the Nation to the mass people, Sheikh Hasina said, adding that Bangabandhu’s birth centenary celebration started with a grand opening on 17 March 2020 while along with Bangladesh, Mujib Year is being celebrated globally with the initiative of UNESCO.
“I pay my deepest homage to the Father of the Nation. I also pay my respect to all the martyrs of the 15 August 1975,” the premier said.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was born in Tungipara village of Gopalganj subdivision (now district) of the then Faridpur district on 17 March 1920, she said, adding from his childhood Bangabandhu was fearless, indomitable, brave and kind. “He (Bangabandhu) was conscious about politics and people’s rights. The key aim of the long political life of this world leader who had keen memory and farsighted vision was to liberate the Bengali nation from the chains of subjugation, and ensure a developed life by freeing people from the curse of hunger, poverty and illiteracy,” the Prime Minister added.
Noting that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a legend, she said, while studying at Islamia College in Kolkata, he got involved in active politics.
After the famine of 1943 and the communal riots of 1946 in Kolkata, young Sheikh Mujib with his classmates and colleagues devoted himself to humanitarian activities in the affected areas daring his life, said the head of the government.
After the partition of India, he returned from Kolkata and got admitted into the University of Dhaka, Sheikh Hasina said, adding discriminatory attitudes towards the people of the East Bengal by the elite rulers of the just-liberated Pakistan hurt Bangabandhu.
“In the meantime, attacks were made on our mother tongue. Bangabandhu came forward in the struggle to establish the status and dignity of Bangla language. In 1948, ‘Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad (State Language Movement Council)’ was formed on Bangabandhu’s proposal by Chhatra League, Tamaddun Majlish and other student organizations,” she continued.
On 11 March 1948, Bangabandhu was arrested while observing a strike to materialize the demand for recognition of Bangla as the state language and imprisoned thrice between 1948 and 1949, the premier categorically said.
Mentioning that Bangabandhu was continuously in jail from 1949 to 1952, she said both while in and out of the jail, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib had led the Language Movement.
“During the incident of killings of language movement activists on 21 February 1952, Bangabandhu was observing a hunger strike in jail,” the premier added.
In continuation of the Language Movement, Sheikh Hasina said, all major
movements of Bangalees, including Jukto-Front (United Front) election in
1954, the movement against military rule of Ayub Khan in 1958, the Education
Movement in 1962, the Six-Point movement in 1966, the movement against
Agartala Conspiracy Case in 1968, the Mass Upsurge in 1969, the General
Elections in 1970 and the War of Liberation in 1971, were led by the
undisputed leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.
The charismatic personality and influential leadership of Bangabandhu
united all the freedom-aspiring Bangalees during the Liberation War, she
said, adding, “As a result, we got an independent, sovereign Bangladesh. The
entity of the Bangalee nation flourished”.
Bangabandhu was not only a leader for the Bangalees, but he was also the
leader in establishing rights and emancipation of all oppressed, exploited
and deprived people of the world, the premier said.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was imprisoned for at least 3,053 days during the
British and Pakistani regimes just for the cause of establishing the rights
of the people, the head of the government said, adding, it can be said that
prison was his second home.
In order to strengthen Awami League as a political organization,
Bangabandhu voluntarily resigned from the cabinet in 1957, she categorically
said.
“The historic 7 March speech of Bangabandhu has been recognized by UNESCO
as a world documentary heritage. Bangabandhu was awarded Juliot Curie Peace
Award in 1973 for his outstanding contribution to the world peace,’ the Prime
Minister added.
Under the prudent leadership of Father of the Nation, Sheikh Hasina said,
the Indian Allied forces returned home just within three months of
independence and a total of 126 countries recognized independent Bangladesh.
During his tenure, Bangabandhu enacted many laws and promulgated
ordinances, including the law for maritime boundaries, which were vanguards
of that era.
Under his (Bangabandhu’s) direction and supervision, the premier said, a
secular, rights-based and equality prioritizing Bangladesh Constitution was
adopted in mere 10 months.
“He (Bangabandhu) boldly faced major challenges of nation building by
establishing a people-centric balanced public administration, activating the
communication network and infrastructure destroyed during the Liberation War,
rehabilitating the refugees and the violated women, controlling the law-and-
order situation, repatriating the stranded Bangladeshis from Pakistan and
rebuilding all the national institutions by freeing those from the grips and
influences of the collaborators of the Pakistani forces,” the head of the
government continued.
Noting that Bangabandhu started trials of the war criminals, she said, the
Father of the Nation signed the landmark Land Boundary Agreement with India
while a Five-Year Plan for economic development was formulated and the GDP
growth rate reached 7 percent.
Within three and a half years, Bangabandhu turned war-ravaged Bangladesh
into a Least Developed Country (LDC), Sheikh Hasina said, adding that in
order to maintain good relations with all the countries in the world, he
(Bangabandhu) adopted the foreign policy based on the principle of
‘Friendship to all, malice to none’.
“Bangabandhu made Bangladesh a dignified country in the world through
ensuring the country’s membership to the United Nations, the Commonwealth,
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
and the World Trade Organization, among others,” she added.
More to follow…
