The historic citation and crests, which were supposed to be presented to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during his scheduled visit to Dhaka University on August 15, 1975, were handed over to his daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday. The citation wrapped with a casket and the two silver-made crests along with a DU monogram were supposed to be presented to the then President Bangabandhu and Chancellor of the university at its convocation on August 15, 1975. But before the day peeps, the Father of the Nation and most of his family members were gunned down by a military cabal.
The wooden framed citation was found in a pile of files inside an ‘almirah’ in a room of the administrative building of the university on December 2, 2009, and the crests and casket were found in a safe at the Registrar’s office.
Amir Hossain, a retired deputy registrar, found the citation at the registrar’s building while he was searching for his personal documents and handed it over to the vice-chancellor on December 4, 2009.
DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique handed over the citation along with some gifts to the Prime Minister at a simple ceremony at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi.
After handing over the gifts and citation, Professor Arefin Siddique read out the ‘citation’ before the audience, which was supposed to be read out at the August 15, 1975 convocation by then DU Vice-Chancellor late Professor Abdul Matin Chowdhury.
Accepting the ‘citation’ and ‘gifts’, the prime minister in an emotion-chocked voice thanked the Dhaka University administration for preserving these for a long time even in the adverse situation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu and most of his family members in August15, 1975, the country’s history had been distorted intentionally with state patronage.
“It proved that the real history can’t be erased with the sweet will of any ruler or vested quarters,” she mentioned.
Sheikh Hasina said she as a student of Dhaka University had wanted to attend the convocation, which was scheduled to be organised in honour of Bangabandhu.
She informed the then Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Matin Chowdhury that she could not attend it as her husband Dr Wazed Mia had been insisting her to go to Germany accompanying him.
She and her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, had left Dhaka for Germany on July, 30, 1975. Otherwise they would have been also the victims of August 15 tragedy. Within 15 days of her departure she lost her all near and dear ones in a single day.
The prime minister said she and her sister decided not to live in this house rather would donate the Bangabandhu Bhaban for people’s welfare. The house is now transformed into Bangabandhu Memorial Museum run by the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.
She said that she purchased a piece of land behind the Bhaban to expand the museum and an archive would be set up in the museum.
The prime minister announced that the ‘citation and gifts’ of Dhaka university will be preserved in an archive to project the country’s real history.
Prof Arefin Siddique also delivered the welcome address, while DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (education) Dr Nasrin Ahmed gave the vote of thanks.
PM’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi, University Grants Commission Chairman Professor AK Azad Chowdhury, DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (admin) Dr Shahid Akhtar Hossain, Treasurer Professor Kamaluddin and PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were also present at the function conducted by Acting DU Registrar Syed Rezaur Rahman.
-With The Independent input
