Ruling Awami League (AL) has taken various programmes to observe the historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today (January 10). On this day in 1972, 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, after 290 days of captivity in Pakistan jail.
The AL’s programmes 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 on the day.
AL leaders and workers will place wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi here at about 7 am. Later, AL central leaders will join the inaugural function of the countdown of ‘Mujib Year’ at the National Parade Ground in the city at 3 pm on the day on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Prime Minister, also AL President, Sheikh Hasina will launch the countdown. Besides, all district, city, upazila, thana, union and ward level units of AL, its’ front and associate bodies will organize similar programmes coinciding with the central programme to observe the day in a befitting manner.
In a statement, AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister urged all party leaders, its front and associate bodies to observe the day in a befitting manner.
On the night of March 25, 1971, Pakistan army arrested Bangabandhu from his Dhanmondi residence and sent him to a West Pakistani jail the following day. Bangabandhu was subjected to inhuman torture in the Pakistan jail where he had been counting moments for the execution of his death sentence that was pronounced in a farcical trial.
“I was a prisoner in the condemned cell awaiting hanging. From the day I went into jail, I didn’t know whether I was to live or not. I was mentally ready to die. But I knew Bangladesh would be liberated,” Bangabandhu spoke emotionally of his ordeal in Pakistani prison at a news conference in London. On the Pakistani army’s slaughter of Bengalis, “Mujib declared: “If Hitler could have been alive today, he would be ashamed.” Earlier on March 26 in 1971, Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of Bangladesh and urged people from all walks of life to participate wholeheartedly in the nation’s War of Liberation.
