Home ›› 09 Aug 2022 ›› Governance
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday revisited the history of country’s protracted independence struggle extracting Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib’s key-shadow role particularly in major turning points like the six-point demand, Bangabandhu’s conditional release issue and his March 7 speech.
“The decisions of my mother on major political issues helped us a lot in achieving the independence,” the prime minister said as she distributed an annual award named after Begum Fazilatun Nesa.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh’s emergence would have been impossible unless Bangamata would have taken a bold step against proposed inclusion of two more points to the Six-Point Demand while Bangabandhu was in Pakistani military captivity during the Agartala conspiracy case.
She said several Awami League leaders was willing to accept Bangabandhu’s release on parole while the trial of the case was underway, an idea that was strongly opposed by Bangamata who wanted his unconditional release.
Sheikh Hasina said if Bangabandhu would have come out accepting parole conditions, no fierce mass movement would have sparked forcing the then Pakistani junta to abandon the case, freeing the accused.
She feared in that situation all the accused would have been hanged on high treason charges, if not killed in captivity like their co-accused Sergeant Zahirul Haque during the trial.
“If Bangabandhu got released on parole, Bangladesh would have never witnessed its independence,” she said.
Five distinguished women were conferred with the Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Padak-2022 for their outstanding contributions to various fields at the function.
Women and Children Affairs Ministry staged the function at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium coinciding with Bangamata’s 92nd birth anniversary while the premier joined the event using the virtual platform from Ganabhaban.
The prime minister said that many leaders had pressured to declare independence during Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech in 1971.
But, Bangabandhu told the mammoth gatherings whatever was in his mind during the historic March 7 speech following the advice of Bangamata, she said, adding, “The opinion of my mother in this respect was given importance.”
Sheikh Hasina said her mother Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib was always beside her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman throughout his life including his student and political life as well.
“My mother was a ‘shadow companion’ of my father. She fully realised my father’s ideal and always helped him – my mother inspired him every time as she understood my father was working for realising people’s rights” she said.
The prime minister said Bangamata never wanted anything that a wife usually desires from her husband rather she fulfilled Bangabandhu’s every requirement to help him in working for the country and its people’s wellbeing.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangamata did everything in a systematic way adding she maintained a khata (book) of account where she put down every expenses of a month that included kitchen market, salary of teacher and school fee.
In absence of Bangabandhu, Bangamata even looked after the Awami League and its leaders and activists and she (Bangamata) even sold her ornaments to run the organisation, she said.
“My mother helped my father achieve the country’s independence through her noble sacrifice,” she added.
Five women who received “Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Padak-2022”, the highest state honour for women, are: Syeda Zebunnesa Haque (Sylhet) in politics, lawmaker Selima Ahmed (Cumilla) in economics, Dhaka University’s former Pro-Vice Chancellor Nasreen Ahmad in education, Mst Achhia Alam (Kishoreganj) in social service and valiant freedom fighter of Gopalganj district Ashalata Baidya (commander during the Liberation War) in independence and Liberation War.
Each recipient got a medal made of 40gm of 18-carat gold, a cheque of Tk 4 lakh and a certificate of honour.
On behalf of the prime minister, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira handed over the Padak introduced last year.
