Bangabondhu means Bangladesh, Bangladesh means Bangabondhu.
Bangabondhu,
Bangladesh and our independence have very closed relation. Bangabondhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had one of the great nationalizes leader in the
world. Bangabondhu (http://www.humanrightstoday.info/?p=714) was the
pioneer and architect of independent Bangladesh and its sovereignty. His
political prudence, indomitable courage, eloquence and powerful
leadership motivated the countrymen to join in the war of liberation.
Bangabondhu proclaimed independence on
March 26 in 1971 and the people dived into nine months long bloody
battle and achieved the long desired sweetest freedom, He also gave
restless effort to represent an esteemed Bangalee nation on the world
stage. His golden-etched name will remain in the history of Bangalees
and Bangladesh forever. But our nation has been waiting from 34 years
for justice his brutal murders.
August
15 in 1975 is a black-chapter in the history of Bangalee nation.
Bangabondhu and his family members were ruthlessly murdered by anti
liberation force and with the help of army member in this day. And the
nation incurred an irretrievable loss. The nation is deeply shocked and
full with grief for this shameful incident. Now, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, the daughter of Bangabondhu is the main target by killer's
group especially Islamic militant group.
The country today observes National
Mourning Day on the 34th death anniversary of Father of the Nation
Bangabondhu, with a vow to implement the longstanding High Court verdict
in the case in connection with his murder. The day is a public
holiday. The government chalked out nationwide programmes to observe
the day at the state level. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (she is a
daughter of Bangabondhu), will visit her father's grave at Tungipara
under Gopalgonj district today. Along with ruling Awami League (AL),
different political parties, and student and socio-cultural
organizations also planned programmes to mourn the killings of
Bangabondhu and most of his family members on this day in 1975. Three
separate attacks on this day 34 years ago left 24 people killed.
Bangabandhu's two daughters -- Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana -- could
escape the bloodbath as they were abroad at the time. The victims also
including wife of Bangabondhu Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, sons Sheikh
Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and nine-year-old Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law
Sultana Kamal and Parveen Jamal, brother Sheikh Naser, nephew Sheikh
Fazlul Huq Moni and his wife Begum Arju Moni, brother-in-law Abdur Rab
Serniabat, 13-year-old Baby Serniabat, Serniabat's son Arif and
four-year-old grandson Babu, three guests, Bangabondhu's four domestic
helps, and his security chief Col Jamil Uddin Ahmed.
Bangabondhu united the Bangalees to throw
off the shackles of Pakistani oppression and steered them towards
independence. His stirring speech on March 7, 1971, before a crowd of
lakhs ready to stake everything for freedom, left an indelible imprint
on the nation's memory. For 21 long years, his killers had been immune
from prosecution due to the Indemnity Ordinance, which was finally
repealed in 1996, paving the way for trials of the killers. A murder
case was filed on October 2, 1996. In November 1998, a trial court
awarded death penalty to 15 former army officers for killing Bangabondhu
and his family members. The High Court (HC) upheld the death sentences
of 12. Five of the condemned -- dismissed army personnel Lt Col Syed
Farooq-ur Rahman, Lt Col Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col Muhiuddin
Ahmed, Maj AKM Mahiuddin Ahmed, and Maj Bazlul Huda -- are behind bars
while six are hiding abroad. Another condemned Aziz Pasha died. The five
condemned convicts filed separate appeals with the Appellate Division
of Supreme Court in the last week of October 2007 against their death
sentences pronounced by the HC.Law Minister Shafique Ahmed recently told
journalists that hearings of the appeals will start soon as there is
no shortage of judges in the Supreme Court now. The condemned six still
at large are Shariful Haque Dalim, AKM Mahiuddin, Rashed Chowdhury,
Nur Chowdhury, Abdul Mazed, and Moslemuddin.
In
the daily Star published a special report on 15 August of 1975. The
report says. Islamic radicalism, menacing the nation for years now, was
something India and the United States learnt to dread soon after the
assassination of Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Documents lately
declassified by the US Office of the Historian show the apprehension had
its roots in the perception that Bangabondhu's killers--all military
officers--were “pro-US, anti-Soviet Union, Islamic, and less pro-Indian
than the past leadership”.
The
August 15 bloodbath in 1975 left Mujib and most of his family
butchered and his party in total disarray. It led to the assumption
that Pakistan would regain its sway on the nation it sought to subdue
only a few years back. In the context of the cold war dynamics, India
and the US were also concerned that China, which recognized Bangladesh
only after August 1975, might help radical communist elements thrive in
the delta sliding into militocracy. All these worries were reflected
in a conversation between the then US secretary of state Henry
Kissinger and Indian external minister YB Chavan.
The
US Office of the Historian, which is responsible for preparation and
publication of the official historical documentary record of American
foreign policy, has transcript of the conversation that took place at
the US Department of State on October 6, 1975. There, the discussion
related to the developments in Bangladesh goes like this:
YB
Chavan: The new president [Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed] has sent us
assurances that he was standing by the same policy but we are concerned,
in particular, whether the new government will take an extreme Islamic
posture. This would create problems for the minority in Bangladesh. If
the Hindus again feel insecure, there might be a new wave of refugees.
Kissinger: Is there a large minority group in Bangladesh? Chavan:
About 15%. It is a major factor. So far the new government (after Mujib
killing) has given assurances it would follow the same policy as
Mujib, but we are naturally worried about the influence of Pakistan on
Bangladesh. Kissinger: What is your impression? Chavan: They have just
announced diplomatic relations. This is a good thing. Even under Mujib
we recommended this. We never wanted an exclusive relationship with
Bangladesh. Our worry is only this: That they might try to give a
different connotation to the situation by giving an Islamic twist to
things. Also the Chinese recognized [Bangladesh] only after the coup.
Frankly, we are worried. There are radical communist elements in
Bangladesh which the Chinese might try to help. Here we hope the US and
India will have a common approach.
After a while, Kissinger asked his Indian
counterpart, “What is the tendency of the [Bangladesh] military? Is it
anti-Indian?" Chavan replied, "Frankly, there is some anti-Indian
tendency, I am sorry to say." At this point, Kewal Singh, the then
secretary of Indian external affairs ministry, chipped in, "Some people
hostile to Mujib were brought back. We don't want to give the
impression we are concerned but pro-Islamic and pro-radical groups have
some strength."
Chavan and Kissinger met the following
day as well and talked about Bangladesh. Almost immediately they got
down to serious talking about political ramifications of the August 15
coup d'état. Yet again, the Indian minister said, "We are worried about
Bangladesh. Radical movements are already there. If Pakistan and China
converse their efforts, this could pose a problem. This would be a new
factor in South Asia which needs assessment." The secretary of state
said, "Previously, the Chinese were opposed to Bangladesh. They were not
among Mujib's admirers." As he asked if India had any advance
indication of the coup, his opposite number replied, "None."
Kissinger then observed, "People are
always complaining that we don't know about things in advance…They
should realize that any coup that succeeds must have fooled someone.
Mujib just couldn't have imagined that anyone would organize a coup
against him. As I understand it, your relations with Bangladesh are now
good. What you are concerned about is a future possibility.”
TN Kaul, the then Indian ambassador to
the US, added, "The danger is Pan Islamism." At one point, Kissinger
said, "The real worry would be if countries with resources like Saudi
Arabia get radical leaders. Then there would be trouble." Kaul said,
"One reason why we banned the Jamaat Islami and RSS is that these
parties were getting money from the outside." The Kissinger-Chavan
meeting gives an impression that none of the two countries had prior
knowledge of the military takeover.
But the US state department's documents
suggest quite the contrary. They show that like India, the US had
gathered that something sinister was brewing, and it had even informed
Bangabondhu about it. Minutes of a staff meeting headed by Kissinger
after August 15, show that the US was well aware of the plot. There,
Kissinger was heard enquiring Alfred Atherton Jr., assistant secretary
of state for Near Eastern and South Asian affairs in 1974-1978, about
the assassination. Atherton said the US had lots of indications in March
that some quarters were scheming to kill Mujib. Kissinger asked,
"Didn't we tell him [Mujib] about it?" The assistant secretary of state
said, "We told him at the time." As his boss pressed to know if
Bangabondhu was told who it was going to be, Atherton answered, "I will
have to check whether we gave him the names." At that point, Hyland of
Bureau of Intelligence and Research said, "We were a little imprecise
on that."
Referring
to the US alerting Bangabondhu to the danger of an attack on him,
Atherton said, "He [Mujib] brushed it off, scoffed at it, and said
nobody would do a thing like that to him." Kissinger remarked, "He was
one of the world's prize fools." Talking about the coup leaders,
Atherton said, "They are military officers, middle and senior officers,
who are generally considered less pro-Indian than the past leadership;
pro-US, anti-Soviet." The secretary of state responded, "Absolutely
inevitable." And Atherton went on, "Islamic. They have changed the name
to the Islamic Republic” Kissinger said, "That they would be pro-US was
not inevitable. In fact, I would have thought at some turn of the
wheel they were going to become pro-Chinese, and anti-Indian I firmly
expected. I always knew India would rue the day that they made
Bangladesh independent. I predicted that since '71."
Major
Dalim, one of the on-the-run convicted killers of Bangabondhu, in a
radio announcement soon after the killings declared the country would
now be named "Islamic Republic of Bangladesh". The declaration which
eventually did not materialise was a complete contrast to the secular
ideals that stirred Bangalees to fight for independence from "Islamic
Republic of Pakistan" in 1971.
Though
the republic's name was spared a change, its constitution soon lost
secular character. The original charter saw secularism dropped as one of
its four fundamental principles. It also had 'Bismillahir Rahmanir
Rahim' in the preamble.
Even
more alarming was the scrapping of the ban on religion-based political
parties. During the rule of Ziaur Rahman, five parties including
Jamaat-e-Islami, which collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces
and committed genocide and numerous atrocities during the Liberation
War, were allowed to be in politics again. The government of independent
Bangladesh in its first decision banned these parties that always
oppose the nation's independence and thrive on communal disturbances. In
the early 80s, the country's second military ruler HM Ershad
introduced Islam as state religion, dealing a death blow to secularism.
The rise of Islamist militancy, once a
fear, is a reality now, 34 years after the August 15 carnage. During the
BNP-Jamaat-led rule in 2001-2006, Islamist outfits spread tentacles
across the country thanks to patronage from some influential leaders of
the ruling alliance. Though the BNP government woke up to the dangers
of militancy towards the end of its tenure, it was too little too late.
Now the task lies with Awami League-led grand alliance that came to
power on promises that include the one to root out militancy. And at the
centre stage in the combat against militancy is Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, who herself had been the target of several attacks.
Now the peoples of Bangladesh have don't
want to bother any late to execute the killers of Bangabondhu. In the
same time we want to see immediately the constitution of 1972 which was
made after our independence. We want to see to our loving country
Bangladesh as an actual democratic country, there will have rule of law,
good governance, enough food for our poor peoples, nutrition for all
children's, there have no discrimination. Source: the daily Star
& BD
You
can agree or disagree with his political philosophy, but even his
enemies have no doubt about the patriotism of this man: Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. He spent most of his life
fighting against the injustice bestowed upon Bangalees, first by the
British, and then by the Pakistani Panjabi military/civil junta. After
the mass uprising of 1969, he was given the title "Bangabandhu", means
"Friend of Bengal". He is largely known as Bangabandhu among the
millions of Bangalees.
History
of Bangladesh is largely interconnected with the life of Bangabandhu.
He was a young political activist during the British rule. He was
active in every political event of then East Bengal/East Pakistan: the
Language Movement of 1952, Jukta Front election of 1954, Student
Movement of 1962, 6-Point Demand of 1966, Mass Uprising of 1969, and
finally Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 against the Pakistanis. He was
imprisoned more than a decade during the 24-years of Pakistani rule.
What
the Pakistanis could not do, some corrupt military officers were able
to do so in our own soil. They killed Bangabandhu along with most of
his extended family in August 15, 1975, just after 3 and 1/2 years of
independence. Two of his daughters, Shiekh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana,
survived. In November 4, 1975, they killed 4 national leaders,
cornerstone of our Liberation War: Syed Nazrul Islam, Taz Uddin Ahmed,
Captain Mansoor Ali, and Kamrujjaman.
Without a doubt, Bangabandhu is the
greatest Bangalee of our known history. He gave us a nation, a new
country, a new identity. Even today, he is more powerful as dead than
anyone of us alive.
Credits:All of the pictures and
information in this book is contained in the book JATIR JANAK Father of
the Nation, publised by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman Memorial Trust, Road 32, Dhanmondhi R/A, Dhaka-1209. This book
was published in August 1, 1997 and available in Muktizuddha Jadughar,
Dhaka
The murderers of Bangabandhu should be bringing back.
Bangabandhu : A Name that Goes with Eternity
By Sajjad khan.
Embracing
Bangabandhu at the Algiers Non-Aligned Summit in 1973, Cuba’s Fidel
Castro remarked, “I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh
Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have
thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas.”