President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Monday said Bangabandhu will remain an eternal source of inspiration not only for millions of Bangalees in this country but also for freedom-seeking people of the world.
"Bangabandhu is no longer with us . . . but his principles and ideals will always inspire the freedom-seeking people to attain their rights and the mass awakening against exploitation and oppression around the world," he told in a message on the occasion of the 48th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Mourning Day.
Paying deep homage to all the martyrs and praying for the eternal peace of the departed souls, the President said Bangabandhu, who led the nation in every democratic and freedom movement, was a visionary leader of the Bengali Nation and the architect of our Independence.
"On the the15th August in 1975, the undisputed leader and the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his most of the family members, was brutally assassinated at his Dhanmondi residence by a group of disgruntled army personnel with the direct and indirect connivance of anti-liberation forces," the president mentioned.
He said the assassins killed the Father of the Nation but could not destroy his principles and ideals in any way.
"Let us transform grieve into strength and devote ourselves to building the 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by the Father of the Nation," he added.
Noting that Bangabandhu was uncompromising in establishing people's fundamental human rights and independence, Mohammed Shahabuddin said Bangabandhu, even on the gallows, upheld the interest of Bangla and Bangalees, ignoring the blood-curdling eyes of the then Pakistani rulers.
"As long as Bangladesh exists, the name and glory of the Father of the Nation will remain ever shining in the mind of millions of Bangalees of our country," the message added.
Recalling Bangabandhu's leadership role in various democratic movements of the country, the President said Bangabandhu led the nation in every democratic and freedom movement including the 'historic Language Movement in 1952, Juktafront Election in 1954, the movement against Martial Law in 1958, the 1962 Education Commission movement, Six-Point Movement in 1966, Mass Upsurge in 1969 and the General Elections in 1970, all of which were directed towards realizing Bangalees emancipation and their rights.
The president, a valiant Freedom Fighter, said Bangabandhu delivered a historic speech on March 7 in 1971 before a mammoth gathering at the then Race Course Maidan proving his unique eloquence and political wisdom and his speech helped to unite the Bangalees, combining their emotions, dreams and aspirations.
In line with this historic speech, the message mentioned that he finally declared the country's independence on March 26, 1971, and subsequently, Bangalees achieved victory through a nine-month-long armed War of Liberation under his leadership. Bangabandhu and Bangladesh thus emerged as a unique entity to the people of Bangladesh.
The president said Bangabandhu has made an outstanding contribution to establishing world peace along with equality, friendship and democracy throughout his life.
"The Father of the Nation was a symbol of independence and ambassador of freedom for oppressed and exploited people in the world, saviour of Bangalee nation," he categorically observed., adding that Bangabandhu struggled throughout his life intending to achieve political freedom as well as economic emancipation of the people.
He said Bangabandhu's dream was to establish a 'Sonar Bangla (Golden Bangla)' free from hunger and poverty. With this aim, a people-oriented constitution was formulated within one year of Independence. Bangabandhu did not just give us a country; he also formulated a contemporary outline of what the economic, social, political and cultural structure of a newly independent state would look like.
Mentioning that Bangabandhu always had trust and faith in his people, he said he used to give the most importance to the united and joint efforts of the people to achieve development and self-reliance.
Now Bangladesh is moving forward, the President said, intending to build a self-reliant country on the path shown by Bangabandhu, under the prudent leadership of his efficient daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh has already been uplifted to the list of developing countries from the LDC and the premier announced 'Vision 2041' to transform Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country after presenting us the 'Digital Bangladesh', the president said.
Referring to various development mega projects, including Padma Bridge, Payra Sea Port, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's 3rd Terminal, Karnaphuli Tunnel and the Metrorail, he said, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - the change maker, is confident and working relentlessly to make the country as developed, happy, and prosperous 'Smart Bangladesh'. "
PM for resisting conspiracy against development, democracy
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged all to resist all kinds of conspiracies to build a non-communal, hunger-poverty free prosperous 'Sonar Bangladesh' as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
"Let's turn the grief of losing the Father of the Nation into our strength and unitedly resist all kinds of plots and conspiracies, and build a non-communal, hunger-poverty free developed-prosperous Golden Bangladesh as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - let this be our solemn pledge on this National Mourning Day," the prime minister said in her message issued on the occasion of the National Mourning Day and 48th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Paying rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and those who embraced martyrdom on August 15 in 1975, the prime minister on Monday said the Greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation, President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members was brutally assassinated on the day in 1975.
"On this National Mourning Day, I humbly remember all the martyrs of the August 15 and pray to the Almighty Allah for the salvation of their departed souls," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said that 15 August is National Mourning Day. On this day in 1975, the Greatest Bangalee of all time, the Father of the Nation, President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members was brutally assassinated, the premier said, adding that eighteen members of the Father of the Nation's family including Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib, three sons-valiant Freedom Fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal, valiant Freedom Fighter Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russel, two daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, brother valiant Freedom Fighter Sheikh Abu Naser, youth leader valiant Freedom Fighter Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni and his pregnant wife Arzu Moni, peasant leader valiant Freedom Fighter Abdur Rab Serniabat, daughter Baby Serniabat, son Arif Serniabat, nephew journalist Shaheed Serniabat, grandson Sukanta Babu, and Abdul Nayeem Khan Rintu, among others, were killed by the heinous killers on that fateful night.
President's Military Secretary Brigadier General Jamil Uddin Ahmed and on duty, ASI of Special Branch of Police Siddiqur Rahman were also murdered and several members of a family died in the capital's Mohammadpur area by artillery shells fired by the killers on the day, she added.
Under the visionary and strong leadership and 23 years of political struggles of the Father of the Nation, the Bangalee Nation broke the shackles of subjugation and snatched away our great Independence, Sheikh Hasina said, adding that the anti-liberation clique killed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and most of his family members at a time when he was engaged in the struggle of building a Golden Bangladesh by reconstructing the war-ravaged country.
"Through the killing of the Father of the Nation, the defeated forces of the Liberation War made abortive attempts to ruin the tradition, culture and advancement of the Bangalee Nation. The aim of the killers was to break the state structure of secular democratic Bangladesh and foil our hard-earned Independence," she added.
The premier said the anti-liberation forces involved in the carnage initiated the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy in the country right after August 15 of 1975.
They also impeded the trial of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib's murder by promulgating the Indemnity Ordinance, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said Ziaur Rahman illegally took over the state power, promulgated Martial Law, killed democracy and tailored the Constitution and he rewarded the killers of the Father of the Nation and gave them jobs to the Bangladesh missions abroad.
Ziaur Rahman gave nationality to the anti-liberation war criminals, made them partners in the state power and rehabilitated them politically and socially by giving them lucrative business, she said, adding that the subsequent illegal military government and the BNP-Jamaat alliance government followed the same path.
The prime minister said Bangladesh Awami League assumed the state power after 21 years winning the general elections on June 12 in 1996 and started the trial of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib murder case but after coming to power in 2001, the BNP-Jamaat alliance government stopped this trial.
The countrymen voted Awami League to power again in the 9th parliamentary elections on December 29 in 2008 and overcoming the stalemate left by the previous BNP-Jamaat government, and global economic recession, the government began work to put the country on a firm economic footing.
She said during the past 14 and half years, the government has achieved desired advancement in every sector and Bangladesh has attained the status of a developing nation and become a 'role model of socio-economic development' in the world.
"Our government has relentlessly been working to turn the country into a developed-prosperous Smart Bangladesh by 2041. We have completed the execution of the verdict of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case defying all conspiracies. The nation got rid of the stigma through the execution of the verdict of the Bangabandhu murder case," the PM said.
"Hopefully, names of those who were behind the conspiracy to assassinate the Father of the Nation will also come out one day. The trial of the killers of four national leaders has also been completed. The verdicts of the cases against the war criminals of 1971 are being executed," she said.
"Our government has been following a 'zero tolerance' policy to uproot militancy-terrorism. The path of grabbing state power illegally and unconstitutionally has been stopped through the 15th amendment to the Constitution," the premier added.
She said the killers were able to murder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib but they could not kill his dreams and ideals.
But the anti-liberation radical groups and the anti-democracy and development cliques have still been hatching various conspiracies at home and abroad, she said and urged the countrymen to be always ready to protect the continuity of development and democracy of the country by unitedly resisting any evil attempt and conspiracy.
