The historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be observed on Thursday in a befitting manner.
Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the nation and supreme commander of the country’s Liberation
War, returned to the sacred soil of independent Bangladesh via London and New Delhi on January 10 in 1972, after 290 days of captivity in Pakistan jail.
To mark the day, the ruling Awami League, its associate bodies, other political parties and socio-cultural-professional organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes.
The day’s programme will start with hoisting of the national and party flags at the AL central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban, and party offices across the country around 6:30am. AL leaders and workers will place wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi here at about 7 am.
Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina is expected to chair a discussion at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in the city’s Farmgate area at 3pm on Thursday. Besides, Bangali Sangskritik Bandhan, a cultural alliance, will hold a discussion at Shilpakala Academy at 10 am on Thursday.
In a statement, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister urged all party leaders and like-minded political organisations to observe the day in a befitting manner.
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages paying profound homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangali of all time.
“Today is the historic 10 January, the Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Though we achieved ultimate victory on 16 December in 1971 through armed struggle but the true essence of victory came into being upon returning home of Father of the Nation,” Hamid said in his message.
This year the Homecoming day is more significant than any other time as the people of the country have cast their votes for Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabandhu, to run the country for the three consecutive terms and materialize the dream of Bangabandhu through the 11th parliamentary election, he said, adding “I believe that this is the true reflection of deep trust and confidence in Bangabandhu and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina”.
Recalling the memories on January 10, 1971, the President said in front of hundreds of thousand people gathered at the Racecourse Maidan, he (Bangabandhu) said, “The dream of my life is fulfilled today. My Sonar Bangla is now free….a sovereign state has been emerged”.
The anti-liberation forces, however, wanted to wipe out the ideal and principle of Bangabandhu and tried to tarnish the image of sovereign Bangladesh through the assassination of Bangabandhu and his family members on 15 August 1975, Hamid said.
“But the Bangali is a nation of intrepidity. As long as Bangladesh and the Bangali exist, Bangabandhu will remain as the eternal source of our inspiration,” he added.
The President said the present government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the illustrious daughter of Bangabandhu, is making untiring efforts for the progress and development of the country.
“Bangladesh, in the meantime, is now being considered worldwide as a ‘role model’ for its development in various sectors including education, health, agriculture, information technology, empowerment of women etc. I am confident that with this pace of development, Bangladesh will be a developed country by 2041, InshaAllah,” he added.
