With an aching heart, the nation on Tuesday mournfully remembered the greatest son of the soil in thousand years, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking the 48th anniversary of his martyrdom and the National Mourning Day.
Bangabandhu, the architect of independence and most of his family members were brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the fateful night of August 15, 1975 and this carnage is known as the ugliest chapter of the nation’s history.
Father of the Nation’s two daughters Sheikh Hasina, now Prime Minister, and Sheikh Rehana escaped the planned assassination as they were staying abroad.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No-32 in the capital on Tuesday morning.
A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force was given a guard of honour on the occasion.
A munajat was also offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of the August 15 carnage.
Cabinet members, lawmakers, political parties, socio-cultural organizations and government bodies as well as a cross- section of people also paid glowing tributes to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait at Dhanmondi Road No-32, according to our correspondents and agencies.
Later the prime minister also placed wreaths at Banani Graveyard on the graves of the family members of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of August 15.
Sheikh Hasina also laid wreaths at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj on the day. Later she also attended a doa-mahfil there.
She also joined milad mahfil at Bangabandhu Bhaban in the capital in the evening.
A delegation of Awami League, Gopalganj district and Tungipara upazila units of the party also paid homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his mausoleum at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 11 am.
To mark the day, people from all walks of life paid rich tribute to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portraits in capital Dhaka, all metropolitan cities, district towns, upazila headquarters and union levels across the country.
Besides, many people also paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu by placing wreath at his mausoleum at Tungipara in Gopalganj district.
Apart from the people, leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League also observed the day by paying glowing tributes to Bangabandhu.
They also placed wreaths at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number 32 in capital Dhaka.
Tributes were also paid to other martyrs of August 15 by placing wreaths at their graves in Banani graveyard in the morning
Awami League kept the national and party flags at half mast and hoisting black flags atop all its offices across the country including Bangabandhu Bhaban and central office at Bangabandhu Avenue at dawn.
To mark the day, national flag was hoisted half-mast atop all government, semi-government, autonomous institutions, educational institutions as well as Bangladesh missions abroad.
Besides, President Mohammed Shahabuddin hosted a special doa and milad mahfil at Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban after Asr prayers.
Marking the day, educational institutions arranged different competitions, cultural functions and photo-exhibitions.
National dailies published special supplements while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television continued broadcasting various programmes recalling the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu.
They all recalled the undisputed and humanitarian leadership of Bangabandhu dubbing him a great humanist and visionary statesman at the global stage.
Doa and milad mahfil was also arranged at mosques across the country including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zohr prayers.
Besides, special prayers were offered at temples, churches and pagodas across the country to mark the National Mourning Day.
As part of the central programme, special prayers and candlelight vigil was held at Mirpur Baptist Church (3/7-A Senpara, Parbata, Mirpur-10) at one- minute past zero hours on August 15.
Christian community also arranged special prayers at Holy Rosary Church at Tejgaon, Buddhist community at International Buddhist Monastery at Merul Badda and Hindu community at Dhakeshwari National Temple on Tuesday morning.
Foods were also distributed among insolvent, orphans and distressed people all over the country.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said anti-liberation forces under the leadership of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are still plotting against the country.
“I’m urging the countrymen to stand firm against the conspirators and resist them,” Obaidul Quader told reporters after paying tribute to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 around 7 in the city.
He added anti-liberation, anti-democratic forces are common foes of the pro-liberation forces and the country.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said that Ziaur Rahman was behind August 15, 1975 killings and Tarique Rahman carried out the grenade attack on August 21, 2004 with the consent of Khaleda Zia and now BNP is doing politics of burning people.
The minister came up with the remarks after paying homage at Banani graveyard in the capital to the Bangabandhu’s family members who were killed on August 15, 1975.
When this day, the August 15 comes around every year the whole Bangali nation feels pain, turn emotional and shed tears.
People across the country on Tuesday said Sheikh Mujib will remain an eternal source of inspiration not only for millions of Bangalis in this country, but also for freedom-seeking people of the world.
They expressed fresh vow to materialise the dreams of Bangabandhu to build a “Sonar Bangla” and to bring back all the fugitive convicted killers of Bangabandhu to be executed.
They (people) also expressed their firm determination to turn the grief of the August 15 into strength to build 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by Bangabandhu under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the worthy daughter of Father of the Nation.
They demanded an international investigation into assassination of Bangabandhu along with most of his family members.
They said Bangabandhu killers wanted to destroy the spirit of the liberation war and push Bangladesh into Pakistani-style politics.
“We are still in a state of shock and profound grief over the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu,” Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, a school teacher said.
He termed Bangabandhu and most of his family members’ assassination on the fateful night of August 15, 1975, the ugliest chapter of the nation’s history.
Talking to the journalists in the city’s Uttara area many people said a dark shadow of affliction had suddenly fallen upon the country, and upon the hearts of its people.
“Sheikh Mujib’s assassination descended a pall of gloom and spread a sense of deep sadness among the people in the country and across the globe,” Noor Islam, a banker said.
“We people always offer prayers seeking eternal peace of departed souls of all martyrs, who had been brutally assassinated during the black night of August 15 in 1975,” Mohammad Shahidul Islam, a businessman said.
He said several facts have been unearthed over conspiracies before the Bangabandhu assassination as the Awami League is in office for third consecutive terms.
The National Mourning Day and 48th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu was also observed on Tuesday in Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi with due respect and solemnity.
The mission held a discussion on the life and struggle of Bangabandhu, the founding Father of Independent Bangladesh, and later offered a special munajat seeking divine blessings for the departed souls of Bangabandhu and his other family members, who embraced martyrdom on the fateful night on August 15, 1975, and continued peace, progress and prosperity of Bangladesh.
