Punishment for remaining killers demanded
Tens of thousands of people, on Wednesday, paid glowing tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on National Mourning Day, marking his 37th death anniversary. People urged the government to bring the five absconding killers of Bangabandhu back to Bangladesh for execution, and to speed up the ongoing trial of the perpetrators of war crimes committed during the Liberation War. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, placed floral wreaths at the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Museum in Dhaka. Senior Awami League leaders, lawmakers and members of the Cabinet accompanied the Prime Minister and paid homage to the slain leader.
A squad of three Bangladesh forces presented the guard of honour to the first president of the republic. Speaker Abdul Hamid and his deputy, Shawkat Ali, also placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu.
A group of disgruntled army officers killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members at the dawn of August 15, 1975, to overthrow his elected government. Promulgation of martial law followed the massacre.
The Bangabandhu’s two daughters—Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana—survived the attacks as they were in Germany at that time.
After the Prime Minister’s placing of floral wreath at her father’s portrait at the Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi, hundreds of leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its front and associate organisations also paid floral tributes to him. Wearing black badges, they came in a mourning procession from different parts of the city.
The leaders also placed floral wreaths at the Banani graveyard, where relatives of Bangabandhu and political leaders, killed in the August 15 coup, have been laid to rest.
The Prime Minister also showered rose petals on the graves of her family members, including her mother Begum Fazilatun Nessa Mujib, brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell, cousin Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, his wife Arzoo Moni, uncle Abdur Rab Serniabat, sisters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, at the Banani graveyard.
She also placed wreaths at the graves of the independence leaders and close associates of Bangabandhu—Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed and Captain M Mansur Ali—who were killed inside the Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975, by the usurpers of state power.
Hasina then flew to Tungipara at Gopalganj to pay tributes to her father at his mazar. Central leaders of the Awami League, Cabinet ministers, advisers, chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, and lawmakers were by her side.
As a mark of respect to Bangabandhu, a smartly turned-out squad of the armed forces played the last post when Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana stood there in solemn silence.
Central leaders of the Awami League, led by presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, attended the milad and doa mehfil at the grave of Bangabandhu.
This was followed by a special prayer for the departed souls of the martyrs.
The day being a public holiday, newspapers brought out special supplements featuring articles about Bangabandhu, while different radio and television channels aired special programmes discussing the life and achievements of Bangabandhu, whose party Awami League led the nation in the struggle for freedom in 1971.
The Awami League hoisted black flags at its offices while the national and party flags were flown at half mast across the country in observance of the day.
Special prayers were offered at all the places of worship seeking divine blessings for the souls of the martyrs of the August 15 massacre. Blood donations camps and distribution of food among the poor were parts of the programmes.
Leaders and activists of the associate bodies of the Awami League and socio-cultural organisations also paid floral tributes to the Father of the Nation.
The organisations that paid homage to Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi, Road 32, in the morning included the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, the Samyabadi Dal, the Workers Party of Bangladesh, the Mohila Awami League, the Dhaka City Awami League, the Awami Juba League, the Awami Swechchasebak League, the Juba Mohila League, the Jatiya Sramik League, the Bangladesh Krishak League, Tanti League, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, the Dhaka Union of Journalists, the University of Dhaka, the University Grants Commission, the Supreme Court Lawyers Association, the Bangladesh Rural Development Board, the Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh, the Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, the Sector Commanders’ Forum, the Bangla Academy, the Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Parishad, the Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote and the Bangamata Parishad.
On Tuesday midnight, leaders and workers of Awami Swechchasebak League, Bangladesh Chhatra League and other bodies observed a candlelight vigil at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.
Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 independence speech and songs of the War of Liberation were played on loud speakers in different parts of the city
The Central Command Council of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the Islamic Foundation, the Bangladesh Open University, the North-South University, the Ramna Kali Mondir and the Anadamoyi Asharam Parochalana Parishad, the Bangladesh Navy, the Controller General Defence Finance, the Bangabandhu Sangskritik Goshthy and other institutions and organisations also observed the National Mourning Day by organising discussions, meetings, poetry recitation sessions, musical soirees, children’s painting competitions, photographic exhibitions, and hamd and nath competitions.
Bangladesh missions abroad also observed the day.
The Awami League will organise a discussion at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Thursday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be the chief guest of the event.
Courtesy of The Independent
