Staff Reporter :The nation will pay homage to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today [Monday] in observance of the National Mourning Day commemorating his 41st anniversary of death.On 15 August 1975, a group of derailed junior army officers invaded the Presidential residence at Road-32 in the city’s Dhanmondi with tanks and killed Bangabandhu, his family and personal staff. Only his daughters Sheikh Hasina Wajed and Sheikh Rehana, who were visiting West Germany, luckily escaped the carnage. They were banned from returning to Bangladesh. The coup was planned by disgruntled Awami League colleagues and military officers, which included Bangabandhu’s colleague and Cabinet member Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, who became his immediate successor. An eminent writer and journalist Lawrence Lifschultz in his book said that the CIA was involved in the coup and assassination, basing his assumption on statements by the then US Ambassador in Dhaka Eugene Booster.The death of Bangabandhu plunged the nation into many years of political turmoil. The coup leaders were soon overthrown and a series of counter-coups and political assassinations paralysed the country. In 1978, the Indemnity Ordinance was signed giving immunity from prosecution to the men who plotted the assassination.Those killed in the August 15 night were: Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, nephew Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, his pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and Bangabandhu’s military secretary Bir Uttam Colonel Jamil [later promoted as Brigadier General posthumously], who rushed to the place of occurrence on receiving SOS from Bangabandhu Bhaban early in the morning.Since the brutal killings, Awami League, its associate bodies and other likeminded pro-liberation, democratic and progressive political parties, social, cultural and professional organisations have been observing the day as the National Mourning Day.Not only that, the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, after sworn in power on June 12 in 1996, initiated trial of the self-confessed killers of Bangabandhu in a traditional court. The court awarded them with death sentence, which was upheld by the highest court of the country.In line with the court verdict, five self-confessed killers were executed on January 27 in 2010. Besides, the government has taken steps to bring back other absconding killers from abroad.The day is a public holiday. Marking the day, the government, Awami League and its front and associate bodies, different socio-cultural, political and professional organisations chalked out elaborate programmes. On the eve of the National Mourning Day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages recalled with gratitude Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s chequered, long and eventful political career and his immense contributions and dedication to the independent and sovereign Bangladesh.The day’s programme will start with the hoisting of National Flag at half-mast and raising of black flags atop all public and private buildings including Bangabandhu Bhaban and Bangladesh Missions abroad in the morning as a mark of respect to the martyrs of August 15 carnage.Wearing black badges, hundreds of people from all walks of life will throng Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at the city’s Dhanmondi Road-32 also in the morning to pay profound homage to the Father of the Nation by placing wreaths at his portrait there.Special prayers will also be offered at all the places of worships seeking divine blessings for eternal peace of the souls of the martyrs of August 15 carnage while blood donations camps are the other programmes of the day.In a statement, Awami League General Secretary and Minister for Public Administration Syed Ashraful Islam urged all to observe the Bangabandhu’s martyrdom anniversary to mark the National Mourning Day with due solemnity.Earlier, the ruling party and its associate bodies have taken a 40-day programme starting from August 1 in commemoration of Bangabandhu’s martyrdom.The programmes include placing of wreaths at his portrait at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in the city at 6-45 am and at his Mausoleum Complex at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 10:00am.Munajat will be offered and milad and doa mahfils will be organised at both the places.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lay wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial. Besides, the Prime Minister will lay wreaths at the graves of the August 15 martyrs and family members at Banani graveyard in the city at 7-30 am.On behalf of the ruling party, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will place wreaths at the Mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj district at 10am when a smartly turned out squad of the armed forces will present guard of honour to the slain first president of the republic. Besides, the floral wreaths will be laid and fateha will be offered at the graves of the martyrs of August 15 massacre at Banani graveyard at 7-30 am.A team of central leaders of Awami League will attend the milad and doa mahfil at the Mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj district at 11am.Mahila Awami League will organise a milad and doa mahfil at Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city after Asr prayers. Under the banner of Journalists’ Community, an inter-faith prayer session will be organised at the Conference Hall of National Press Club at 10-30 am seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of the martyrs of the August 15 carnage.Apart from it, Awami League will organise a discussion at the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at 4-00 pm on August 16. Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the discussion as the chief guest.Other programmes of the day include holding of discussions, poetry recitation session, child-juvenile painting competition, photographic exhibition, hamd and nat competition, tree plantation and distribution of cooked food among destitute people.Bangladesh missions abroad will also observe the National Mourning Day in a befitting manner today.The national dailies will publish special supplements while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television and other private television channels and radio centres will air special programmes highlighting the simple and selfless life of Bangabandhu, his affection and care for his people and immense contributions to the nation.
