Mathematical analysis of Bangabandhu’s sacrifice

Everyday experience makes our common sense notions that derive ideas of right-wrong. From the present turbulent global situation, we observe a sickening competition where everyone from a grassroots leader to a world leader is busy asserting himself through the use of arms. A child, who begins to learn from this questionable situation today, will be terrible for the future world. We are confused today when it comes to identifying leaders and their leadership. Our judgment of good and bad has disappeared. Everyone is engaged in a money based competition where humanity has no value. Everyone wants to be a leader where enjoyment is more important than sacrifice. This is another attempt to introduce slavery in the world. So now it is essential to know about what makes an ideal leader leader in the best sense.

Dave Anderson, a leadership expert, believes that leadership lies in immersing oneself in the welfare of people. According to Nelson Mandela, “True leaders must be prepared to sacrifice everything for the freedom of their people.” Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” The expression of leadership of a true leader is to ensure the welfare of people through his own sacrifice. To understand that Bangabandhu is the best in the world in terms of self-sacrifice for the people, one can compare three elite world leaders such as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. The total time they were in jail for ensuring human welfare was 4682 days, 2338 days and 9855 days respectively. Now if we consider their age from 18 years to death then their life span was 13505 days, 21900 days and 28105 days respectively. Therefore the percentage of time spent in jail with respect to their adult age is: Bangabandhu 35 per cent, Gandhi 1 per cent and Mandela 35 per cent.

Again, analyzing the cause of death of these leaders, it can be seen that Bangabandhu’s self-sacrifice was 100 per cent where he was martyred with his family. If the percentage of time spent in jail during adulthood and life sacrifice are taken as the measure of sacrifice, then out of 200, Bangabandhu has a total of 135, Gandhiji 101 and Nelson Mandela 35. To understand Bangabandhu deeply, one must understand leaders and leadership. In any case, this sacrifice of Bangabandhu for the people is the highest which can be seen in the Figure 1.

Bangabandhu died with unconditional love and faith for the people of Bangladesh on 15 August, 1975.

Some murderous misguided army men, as part of a domestic-foreign conspiracy, cowardly killed the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members.

There are some comments of famous persons about this great leader. In 1973, Fidel Castro, the Cuban supreme leader remarked about Bangabandhu, “I have not seen the Himalayas, but I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas.” Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said in the birth centenary of Bangabandhu on 17 March 2020, “Bangabandhu means – a leader of courage, a man of conviction, a sage of peace, a champion of justice, equality and dignity, a hand of defiance against brutality, and, a shield against coercion.” Leader of the British humanist movement Lord Fenner Brockway compared Bangabandhu with the contributions of George Washington, De Valera, and Mahatma Gandhi. Another leader said, “Through his life and work, he set an example for the entire world.”

Where the heads of government all over the world were busy protecting themselves at the expense of the people, Bangabandhu was a complete exception. The leader who fought for the protection of the people throughout his life did not interfere even from the top of the state power. Being a member of a family in true Bengali style, he felt comfortable in his small two-story house.

He did not live in any government residence. The security of the house where he lived was also normal. He did not want to separate himself from the people by wasting people’s money and building a fort for his own protection. Bangabandhu used to say, a Bengali can never kill him. He will live forever as the best in all definitions of leader and leadership. If we realize the ideals of this great leader, we will be the best nation in the world. The National Mourning Day in August 15 should be a day of committing ourselves to follow Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s ideology in the true sense.

The writer is Professor (Physics and Astronomy) and Controller of Examinations, University of Global Village (UGV), Barishal.

He can be contacted at mdfaridyorku@gmail.com