Zafar Wazed :
A talent like him is born once in a blue moon. His valour and personae can be compared to the grand Himalayas. He has overcome the impossible difficulties with vigour and bravery. And following that grandiose he has stepped towards the freedom of humanity. He has made all the impossible turn possible, overcome all the barriers, bearing all the pain for the humanity. He converted a suppressed nation into a troop of valiant fighters. The national got its own motherland and sovereignty in exchange struggle, bloodshed and supreme sacrifice. He awarded the nation with the red and green flag. He taught the national to sing the song of Sonar Bangla. He sacrificed everything of his life to liberate the nation. He like most the two words-‘Freedom’ and ‘Independence’. With the aim to materialize his dream to establish the nation’s right to self-determination, he proclaimed, “…the struggle this time is a struggle for emancipation, the struggle this time is a struggle for independence….” He concentrated on strengthening the organization to bring independence for Bangalees. He travelled for miles-sometimes on foot, sometimes riding on bicycle and sometimes on boat-to boost up the party activists. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sacrificed his life for strengthening Awami League. The party succeeded to prove its strength in 1971. Even, he could reorganize a war-ravaged country within three and half year of its independence. Earlier, he efficiently dealt with the man-made famine. His every steps were taken for establishing a peaceful atmosphere for people. His heart was full of confidence. He could not even sense that Bangalees might commit any heinous offence. But the reality was different. The anti-liberation forces, which were defeated in 1971, were still active for reprisal.
The vested quarter started hatching conspiracy to destabilize the country. When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was working hard to take forward the country, the vested quarter trying to retard the pace of the country’s growth. They did not let Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to run the country peacefully. So, the question is raised that who assassinated Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and why the assassination was carried out? Its’ answer is now becoming visible to the countrymen after 47 years of his assassination. As the country’s president, could Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sense the assassination plot? He trusted Bangalee people. He believed that no Bangalee person bears the mentality of killing or hurting him. So, the issue of assassinating him remains far away. He tried to develop life standard of the countrymen. In returns, he received bullets in his chest. He did not flee the scene, rather he faced it. His demise was more shocking than Greek Tragedy. His assassination was carried out not for only to topple his government. Rather, it was triggered by vengeance of conspirators. Not only Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, rather the entire family was assassinated. The conspiracy was against the country’s independence, against the spirit of liberation war and against the four principles of the constitution. The killer Dalim uttered the word ‘Islamic Republic of Bangladesh’ in his radio speech on August 15 morning. All these were not happened suddenly. Rather, everything was pre-planned.
The conspirators tried to ruin the nation by assassinating Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 47 years ago. They expanded communal politics instead of secularism, they expanded autocracy instead of democracy. Jamaat leader Golam Azam, who fled the country on the eve of the liberation war, initiated a ‘Project to regain East-Pakistan’. He spent huge amount of money to destabilize the country. Golam Azam was brought back in the country by the then autocratic ruler Ziaur Rahman after assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The perpetrators, who were against liberation war, were rehabilitated in politics. Even, they were made ministers. They were moving in cars fluttering the National Flag. Even, successors of the war criminals recurred it in the 21th century.
The nation’s most disastrous day was August 15. It was Friday. The perpetrators assassinated Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the holiday for Muslims. The assassination was pre-planned and its’ impact was far-reaching. Not only some misguided army officers, but also a group of internal and external conspirators along with the anti-liberation force was behind the assassination. Even, a section of bureaucrats, businessmen and religious fundamentalists also joined hands with the killers. The massacre was an irreparable loss for the nation that is still paying for it. An instable situation prevailed during the regime of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Secret killing, looting, attacking on food-carrying vehicles and other criminal activities were going on full-fledge. All these small criminal groups joined hands with anti-liberation forces and got involved with the conspiracy. A chaotic situation was created across the country. Rivalry, enmity, propaganda and rumour engulfed the society. But the conspirators could not gain success, despite repeated attempts. Finally, they took the most heinous way and assassinated Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
( To be continued)
(The writer is the Director General (DG) of Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) and Ekushey Padak winning journalist).
