Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Hasina
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman
Dedicated his life to establishing a democratic, peaceful and exploitation-free
society called "Sonar Bangla" - Golden Bengal. He sacrificed his life
to liberate the Bangalee nation, which had been groaning under the colonial and
imperialist yoke for nearly 1,000 years. He is the founding father of the
Bangalee nation, generator of Bangalee nationalism and creator of the sovereign
state of Bangladesh.
My father spent nearly half his life
behind bars and yet with extraordinary courage and conviction he withstood
numerous trials and tribulations during the long period of his political
struggle. During his imprisonment, he stood face to face with death on at least
two occasions, but never for a moment did he waver. As a daughter of
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I heard many tales about him from my grandfather and
grandmother. He was born on Mar. 17, 1920 in Tungipara, in what was then the
British Raj. During the naming ceremony my great-grandfather predicted that
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would be a world-famous name. My father grew up
rural - amid rivers, trees, birdsong. He flourished in the free atmosphere
inspired by his grandparents. He swam in the river, played in the fields,
bathed in the rains, caught fish and watched out for birds' nests. He was
lanky, yet played football. He liked to eat plain rice, fish, vegetables, milk,
bananas and sweets. His care and concern for classmates, friends and others was
well-known. He gave away his tiffin to the hungry, clothes to the naked, books
to the needy and other personal belongings to the poor. One day, my grandfather
told me, he gave his clothes to a poor boy and came home in his shawl.
At the age of 7, he began his schooling,
though an eye ailment forced a four-year break from his studies. He married at
the age of 11 when my mother was 3. He demonstrated leadership from the
beginning. Once in 1939, he led classmates to demand repair of the school's
roof - just when the premier of then undivided Bengal happened to be in town.
Despite a deep involvement in politics, in 1946 he obtained a BA.
Bangabandhu was blessed from boyhood with leadership, indomitable courage and
great political acumen. He played an active role in controlling communal riots
during the India-Pakistan partition. He risked his life for the cause of truth
and justice. He rose in protest in 1948 against the declaration of Urdu as the
state language of Pakistan and was arrested the following year. He pioneered the
movement to establish Bangla as the state language. In 1966, he launched a
six-point program for the emancipation of Bangalees. In 1969, my father was
acclaimed Bangabandhu, Friend of Bengal. His greatest strength (and weakness)
was his "love for the people." He is an essential part of the
emotional existence of all Bangalees.
The appearance of Bangladesh on the
world map in 1971 was the culmination of a long-suppressed national urge. On
Mar. 7, 1971, my father addressed a mammoth public meeting in Dhaka and
declared: "The struggle now is the struggle for our emancipation, the struggle
now is the struggle for Independence." He sent a wireless message, moments
after a crackdown by the Pakistani army, declaring the Independence of
Bangladesh in the early hours of Mar. 26. The world knows he courted arrest -
and yet Bangabandhu emerged as the unquestioned leader of a newborn country.
Once in power, my father pursued a non-aligned, independent foreign policy
based on peaceful coexistence. Its basic tenet: "Friendship to all, malice
to none." He advocated world peace and declared his support for all
freedom struggles. He supported the concept of a "Zone of Peace" in
the Indian Ocean. In 1974, he was awarded the Julio Curie Prize for his
devotion to the cause of peace. But at a time when Bangladesh was
emerging as an advocate for oppressed nations, his foes assassinated him on
Aug. 15, 1975. My mother and three brothers were also killed. Even my younger
brother Sheikh Russel, who was then nine, was not spared. The only survivors
were my younger sister Sheikh Rehana and myself; we were on a trip to
Germany. Consequently, the political ideals for which Bangladesh
sacrificed three million of her finest sons and daughters were trampled, and
Bangladesh became a puppet in the hands of imperialism and autocracy. By
assassinating Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the conspirators wanted to stop the
country's march to freedom, democracy, peace and development. The process of
law and justice were not permitted to take their course; human rights were
violated. It is, therefore, the solemn responsibility of freedom- and
peace-loving people to help ensure the trial of the plotters and killers of
this great leader, my father.
Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the late
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is the prime minister of Bangladesh.
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