Desk Report: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that under the visionary and strong leadership of the Father of the Nation, the Bengali nation broke the shackles of subjugation and snatched our great freedom. When Bangabandhu was engaged in the struggle to build a golden Bangladesh with the entire nation in the newly independent war-torn country, the anti-independence-war criminal clique killed him along with most of his family members. Through these killings, they tried to stifle the Bengali tradition, culture and progress.
He said this in a message on the occasion of National Mourning Day on Sunday (August 15).
The Prime Minister said, August 15 is our national day of mourning. On this day in 1975, the assassins brutally killed President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, the greatest Bengali of all time, the father of the nation.
He said the wife of the father of the nation Bangamata Fazilatun Nesha Mujib, three sons- heroic freedom fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal, heroic freedom fighter Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal, 10 year old infant son Sheikh Russell, daughter-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosie Jamal, Bangabandhu’s brother Sheikh Abu Naser, farmer Serniabat, youth leader and freedom fighter Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni and his pregnant wife Arju Moni, Baby Serniabat, Arif Serniabat, journalist Shahid Serniabat, Sukant Babu, Abdul Naeem Khan Rintu and 18 other members of his family were killed in the day. President’s Military Secretary Brigadier General Jamil, ASI Siddiqur Rahman of the Special Branch of the Duty Police, Army member Syed Mahbubul Haque was also killed. Several members of a family were killed in Mohammadpur when the assassins fired artillery shells. On the National Day of Mourning, I respectfully remember all the martyrs of August 15 and pray for the forgiveness of their souls in the court of Almighty Allah.
Sheikh Hasina said the aim of the assassins was to break the state structure of non-communal democratic Bangladesh and undermine our hard-won independence. The anti-independence clique involved in this heinous murder started the politics of assassination, coup and conspiracy after August 15, 1975. They issued an indemnity ordinance blocking the way for the trial of Bangabandhu’s assassination.
Bangabandhu Kanya said that Ziaur Rahman illegally seized power and killed democracy by imposing martial law. Hurts the constitution. Bangabandhu rewards the killers. Gives jobs in embassies abroad. Gives citizenship to anti-independence war criminals. Partners in state power. Lets do business. Rehabilitates them politically and socially by owning huge sums of money. The next illegitimate military government and the BNP-Jamaat government followed the same path.
The Prime Minister said the Bangladesh Awami League won the general election on June 12, 1996 and formed the government after a long 21 years. The five years from 1996 to 2001 marked the beginning of a new horizon of socio-economic development in the country. We begin the trial of the murder of the father of the nation. But the BNP-Jamaat coalition government came to power in 2001 and stopped the trial of the murder.
He said the people of the country again won the Awami League in the December 29, 2008 elections by a huge margin. By overcoming the stagnation and global recession left by the previous governments with the responsibility of running the state, we started the work of establishing the country on a strong economic foundation. In the last 12 and a half years, we have achieved the desired progress in every sector of the country. Bangladesh has become a ‘role model’ in the world in socio-economic development. We are celebrating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence. During this time Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing country. We have been able to keep the wheel of our economy running even in the midst of the current deadly coronavirus epidemic. Our government is working relentlessly with the goal of making Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country by 2041.
Bangabandhu’s eldest daughter said, “We have executed the verdict of the murder of the father of the nation.” Hopefully, who was behind the conspiracy to assassinate the father of the nation will also come out one day. The trial for the murder of four national leaders has also been completed. The verdict of the war crimes against humanity of 1971 is being executed. Our government is pursuing a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy to eradicate militancy and terrorism. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution has closed the opportunity for usurpation of power unconstitutionally.
The Prime Minister said the assassins killed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib but could not kill his dreams and ideals. Anti-independence communal groups and anti-development and anti-democracy clique must always be ready to deal with any conspiracy.
Sheikh Hasina further said, “Let us turn the grief of losing the father of the nation into strength.” Reflecting the glory of his self-sacrifice and long-fought life style through our actions, let us all build a non-communal, hunger and poverty free golden Bangladesh of Bangabandhu’s dream – let this be our strong commitment on the day of national mourning.
