National
Remembering Bangabandhu: Bangladesh Observes National Mourning Day
The nation is gearing up to commemorate the National Mourning Day and the 48th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on Tuesday with solemnity and deep respect.
On the tragic night of August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally assassinated by a group of disgruntled army personnel, marking one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history.
In addition to Bangabandhu and his wife, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesha Mujib, 26 others, including family members and relatives, lost their lives on that day, as stated on the AL website.
The list of martyrs encompasses Bangabandhu’s eldest son, Sheikh Kamal, second son Sheikh Jamal, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Parveen Jamal Rozi, youngest son, ten-year-old Sheikh Russell, younger brother Sheikh Abu Nasser, nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani, along with his pregnant wife Begum Arju Moni, and Bangabandhu’s brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat. The tragic night also claimed the life of Colonel Jamil Uddin Ahmad, Bangabandhu’s chief security officer.
His two surviving daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who now serves as Prime Minister, narrowly escaped the planned assassination as they were abroad during the tragic incident.
To commemorate this day, the government has outlined a comprehensive program, including flying the national flag at half-mast across all government and semi-government institutions, autonomous bodies, educational institutions, and Bangladesh’s missions abroad, as reported by BSS.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay their respects to Bangabandhu by laying wreaths at his portrait at 6:30 am in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Dhanmondi Road No-32 in the capital.
The Prime Minister will also place wreaths at the Banani Graveyard on the graves of Bangabandhu’s family members and other martyrs who tragically lost their lives on August 15, 1975. She will offer Fateha and munajat to seek eternal peace for their departed souls.
Cabinet members, lawmakers, political parties, socio-cultural organizations, and government bodies will also pay tribute by placing wreaths at Bangabandhu’s portrait on Dhanmondi Road No-32. Similar wreaths will be laid at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu in Tungipara, Gopalganj, accompanied by prayers and discussions.
Other martyrs of the August 15 tragedy will also be honored with wreaths at their graves at the Banani graveyard in the capital. Educational institutions will organize various competitions, cultural events, and photo exhibitions.
National newspapers will feature special supplements, while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television will broadcast programs to remember the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu.
The ruling Awami League (AL) has also arranged various programs, including flying national and party flags at half-mast and hoisting black flags at all AL offices across the country, including Bangabandhu Bhaban and the central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.
AL leaders and workers will pay their respects to Bangabandhu by laying wreaths at his portrait at 6:30 am in the premises of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Dhanmondi Road No-32.
Tributes will also be paid to the other martyrs of August 15 by placing wreaths at their graves in the Banani graveyard at 8 am. Special prayers and milad mahfil will also be held there.
A delegation from AL’s Gopalganj district and Tungipara upazila units will pay homage to Bangabandhu at his mausoleum in Tungipara at 12 pm, followed by fateha offerings and special prayers.
Various religious communities across the country, including mosques, temples, churches, and pagodas, will hold special prayers to honor the National Mourning Day.
As part of the central program, a candlelight vigil and special prayers will be observed at Mirpur Baptist Church at one minute past midnight on August 15.
Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu communities will also conduct special prayers at their respective places of worship.
Food distribution to the underprivileged, orphans, and distressed individuals will take place nationwide.
A discussion will be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) at 4 pm on August 16, chaired by Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
