August, the month when the nation lost its greatest leader, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, begins Tuesday.
The August 15 carnage is the darkest chapter in the nation's history, as some disgruntled army personnel not only assassinated the nation's founding father but also killed most of his family members.
The self-confessed killers did not even spare 10-year-old Bangabandhu's son Sheikh Russel along with his wife Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, his other two sons Sheikh Kamal and Sheikh Jamal, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, Bangabandhu's brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, nephew and eminent journalist Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, Moni's pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and Bangabandhu's military secretary Colonel Jamil on the dark night.
Bangabandhu's daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived as they were in Germany at the time.
The nation, with a heavy heart, observes the month of August as the month of mourning, recalling the barbaric killings.
The world also protested and condemned the killing, saying it is an irreparable loss to millions of people of Bangladesh.
The month of August is also black marked with another conspiracy of assassination. The nation cannot ever forget the heinous attempt of killing Sheikh Hasina through grenade attacks in 2004.
The vested quarter, who assassinated Bangabandhu in 1975, also tried to destroy Awami League by killing its president Sheikh Hasina with grenades on an anti-terrorism rally at Bangabandhu Avenue here on August 21 in 2004.
Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack suffering splinter injuries when 24 of her party men, including Awami League's women affairs secretary Ivy Rahman, were killed and 500 others injured.
Different political and socio-cultural organisations, including the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies have chalked out a month-long programme to observe the month of mourning.
Month-long programmes
AL's front organisations - Awami Swechchhasebak League and Bangladesh Chhatra League - will brought out a candlelight procession towards Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 at one-minute past zero hours tonight.
Matsyajibi League will also hold a candlelight vigil in memory of August 15 martyrs at the same time.
Awami Jubo League will hold a protest rally at zero hours with the demand for holding posthumous trial of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman for his involvement with August 15, 1975 carnage and killings of valiant freedom fighters and army officers in the post-1975 period and banning the politics of BNP, which has been dubbed as terrorist organization by Canadian court, for killing thousands of leaders and workers of Awami League and general people, carrying out arson attacks and terrorist acts.
On August 1, Krishak League will hold a blood and plasma donation campaign at Krishibid Institute Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium at 10am.
AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will join the programme as the chief guest.
Jubo Mohila League will pay homage to Father of the Nation by laying wreaths at his portrait at Dhanmondi 32 at 11am.
On August 3, Bangladesh Chhatra League will hold a token 'letter sending' programme to Bangabandhu titled "Minoti Aj Kori Pita, Ekbar Ese Dekhe Jao" by representatives of young generation at every educational institution across the country.
On August 5, marking the birth anniversary of valiant freedom fighter Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Bangabandhu, floral wreaths will be placed at his portrait on the premises of Dhanmondi Abahani Club at 8am.
Later, wreaths will be laid at his grave at Banani graveyard at 9am.
AL's Dhaka City South unit will organize a discussion at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office here at 11am marking the birthday of Sheikh Kamal.
Jubo League will hold milad and doa mahfils and distribute foods among orphans and distressed people.
Awami Swechchhasebak League will arrange a discussion and photo-exhibition at 11am.
Sramik League's Dhaka city north and south units will hold discussion at 3pm.
Marking the birth anniversary of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wreaths will be placed at her grave at Banani graveyard at 8am on August 8. Awami League, its Dhaka city north and south units and associate bodies will hold Quran khawni, milad and doa mahfils.
Awami Jubo League will arrange a discussion titled "Prerona Diyechhe, Shakti Diyechhe, Bijoya Lakkhi Nari".
AL's Dhaka City South unit will distribute food among orphans at Sir Salimullah Muslim Orphanage in the city's Azimpur area after Zohr prayers on the day.
Sramik League's Dhaka city north and south units will arrange a discussion at 3pm.
Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad will arrange a daylong free health camp at Tungipara in Gopalganj.
Bangladesh Chhatra League will arrange a female students' rally titled "Bangladesher Mata, Bangladesher Neta". Awami Swechchhasebak League will hold a discussion.
On August 9, Mahila Awami League will arrange a discussion at 10am.
On August 11, Awami Swechchhasebak League will hold a discussion marking the National Mourning Day.
Awami Matsyajibi League will arrange a voluntary blood donation campaign marking the National Mourning Day.
Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad will hold a discussion at BSMMU's Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Convention Centre at 3pm on that day.
On August 13, Dhaka City South Jubo League will hold a milad, doa mahfil and discussion recalling the memories of August 15 martyrs.
Bangladesh Chhatra League will hold children's drawing competitions across the country on that day.
Awami Swechchhasebak League will hold a three-day photo-exhibition on the premises of Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi 32 from August 13 to 15 marking the National Mourning Day.
Jubo Mohila League will form a human-chain with the demand of bringing back killers of August 15 to implement their sentences.
On August 15, Dhaka City North unit of Jubo League will hold a milad, doa mahfil, discussion and food distribution ceremony marking the National Mourning Day.
On August 15, marking the martyrdom anniversary of the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members and National Mourning Day, national and party flags will be kept at half mast and black flags will be hoisted atop all AL offices across the country including Bangabandhu Bhaban and central office during the sunrise.
AL leaders and workers will pay glowing tributes to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 at 6.30am.
On the day, tributes will also be paid to other martyrs of August 15 by placing wreaths at their graves in Banani graveyard at 8am. Special munajat, offering of Fateha, mazar jiarat and milad mahfil will also be held there.
A delegation of AL, Gopalganj district and Tungipara upazila units of the party will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his mausoleum at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 12pm. Fateha offering, milad and doa mahfil will be arranged.
Doa and milad mahfil will also be arranged at all mosques across the country including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zohr prayers.
Besides, special prayers will be offered at temples, churches and pagodas across the country to mark the National Mourning Day.
As part of central programme, special prayers and candlelight vigil will be held at Mirpur Baptist Church (3/7-A Senpara, Parbata, Mirpur-10) at one-minute past zero hours on August 15.
Christian community will also arrange special prayers at Holy Rosary Church at Tejgaon here at 9am, Buddhist community at International Buddhist Monastery at Merul Badda here at 10am and Hindu community at Dhakeshwari National Temple at 11.30am.
Foods will be distributed among insolvent, orphans and distressed people all over the country in the luncheon and mass-luncheon will also be hosted.
On August 16, a discussion will be arranged at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on the occasion of the National Mourning Day at 4pm.
Sheikh Hasina will chair the discussion.
On August 17, Dhaka city north and south units of AL will arrange discussion at the AL's Bangabandhu Avenue central office at 11am commemorating the countrywide series bomb attacks on that day in 2005. Awami Swechchhasebak League will form a human-chain.
Bangladesh Chhatra League will hold an anti-terrorism and militancy road march at every educational institution, city, district town and upazila protesting the series bomb attacks by anti-state, anti-humanist and terrorist force-BNP-Jamaat.
On August 19, Mahila Sramik League will hold a discussion at AL's Bangabandhu Avenue central office at 10am marking the National Mourning Day. Jatiya Sramik League will hold another discussion at the same venue at 3pm.
On August 20, Bangladesh Krishak League will arrange a drawing competition on Bangabandhu for offspring of farmers at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium.
On August 21, tributes will be paid to martyrs in the gruesome grenade attacks on AL rally on that day in 2004 by placing wreaths in front AL central office at Bangabandhu Avenue at 10am.
AL will organise a discussion on the occasion protesting the gruesome August 21 grenade attacks at its central office.
Awami Swechchhasebak League will pay homage and hold a torch-light vigil at 5.21pm recalling the memories of August 21 martyrs. Krishak League will hold discussion and doa mahfil.
On August 22, under the arrangement of Krishak League's Dhaka City North, a discussion, doa mahfil and food distribution ceremony will be held at KIB marking the National Mourning Day.
On August 23, Mahila Awami League will hold a discussion recalling the martyrs of August 21 grenade attacks and death anniversary of Ivy Rahman.
On August 24, AL, its Dhaka city south and north units and associate bodies will pay tributes to Shaheed Ivy Rahman, a martyr of August 21 grenade attacks, by placing wreaths at her grave in Banani graveyard at 9am.
Jatiya Sramik League will hold a memorial meeting at Tejgaon Industrial area at 3pm marking the death anniversary of Ivy Rahman on that day.
On August 27, marking the death anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, tributes will be paid to his grave on the premises of Dhaka University central mosque at 11am.
On August 30, Dhaka City North and South units of AL will hold a discussion marking the National Mourning Day.
On August 31, Bangladesh Krishak League will organize a discussion at AL's Bangabandhu Avenue central office marking the National Mourning Day.
Bangladesh Chhatra League will hold a discussion marking the National Mourning Day.
Sheikh Hasina will join it as the chief guest.
The month-long programme will end with Jubo League's discussion titled "Shok Theke Shakti, Shakti Theke Jagaron".
All organisational units from centre to grassroots have been asked to observe the programme with due respect.
