Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day to be observed on Monday
The nation will gratefully pay homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Monday marking his historic coming to liberated Bangladesh after nearly 10 months of incarceration in a Pakistani jail. On January 10, 1972, some 25 days after the surrender of the Pakistan army in Dhaka, Bangabandhu set foot for the first time in free Bangladesh, after over nine-and-a-half months of captivity in Pakistan. Bangabandhu was subjected to inhuman torture in captivity, where he had been counting the days to the execution of a death sentence that was pronounced against him in a sham trial. Bangabandhu inspired the birth of Bangladesh. He was the inspiration for the freedom fighters. Even after Pakistan's surrender on December 16, the people felt restless and incomplete in the newly-independent nation until they had their leader back among them. Owing to his uncompromising leadership, Bangladesh achieved the ultimate victory through the nine-month Liberation War in 1971. The defeated Pakistani rulers were finally compelled to release Bangabandhu from jail. The victory of December 16 attained its fulfilment with his release. Bangabandhu flew back to in Dhaka via London and a brief stopover in New Delhi. Bangladesh Awami League has taken various programmes to observe the historic day. The AL leaders will pay homage at Bangabandhu’s portrait at Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi -32 at 8.30 am. Besides, a delegation of Bangladesh Awami League will visit the mazar of Bangabandhu at Tungipara at 11 am. A discussion meeting will be held on Tuesday at 3:30 pm at the AL central office at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue where Prime Minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina will join through a video conference.
Read: AL chalks out programmes to observe Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day In his message President Abdul Hamid said “As long as Bangladesh and Bengalis exist, Bangabandhu will be the source of inspiration for all. Today, Bangladesh is moving forward at an irresistible pace on the development highway under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh has evolved from a least developed country to a developing country.” “If this trend of development continues, Bangladesh will become a developed and prosperous country by 2041,” he said. “Following the path of success in building 'Digital Bangladesh' by 2021, we will be able to move forward with more courage and confidence towards building a developed Bangladesh by 2041 - this is my expectation on Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day,” he added. In her message, the Prime Minister said, “The greatest Bengalis of all time in the history of Bengali liberation struggle, the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from prison in Pakistan and returned home on this day in 1972. The people of newly independent Bangladesh got back their most beloved leader. With the arrival of the Great Leader, the joy of the final victory of our liberation war was fulfilled.” She also urged all to uphold the spirit of independence achieved at a cost of three million martyrs and two million abused mothers and sisters. “Inspired by the motto of the Great Liberation War by resisting all imminent conspiracies, together, we shall play an effective role in building the 'Golden Bangladesh', the father of the nation's dream,” she said.
Bangladesh set to celebrate 51st Victory Day Thursday
The nation is set to celebrate the 51st Victory Day on Thursday, the most joyous day when the country was born at the cost of the supreme sacrifice of three million martyrs and the honour of nearly half a million mothers and sisters, with elaborate programmes.
On this glorious day in 1971, Bangladesh was liberated as an independent country after the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered following a bloody nine-month-long war.
People from all walks of life will join various programmes on Thursday to pay deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country during the Liberation War 50 years back.
Read: Victory Day programmes: DMP commissioner stresses onus on security
Along with the government, different socio-political, educational and cultural institutions and organisations have chalked out a series of programmes to celebrate the day. Bangladeshis at home and abroad will also celebrate the day.
This year’s Victory Day has special significance as it coincides with the celebrations of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country's independence.
The day’s programme will begin with a 31-gun salute.
Indian President pays homage to Bangabandhu
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, the place which bears the testimony to the life and work of Bangabandhu.
Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Rehana accompanied President Kovind to visit the museum at Dhanmondi 32.
He signed the visitors' book kept there after paying respect to Bangabandhu.
Rehana also presented Kovind with a set of books.
Read:Gifts from President: What Kovind brings for Hasina!
Earlier, President Kovind visited the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar and placed wreathes there, paying tributes to the brave hearts of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
He arrived here on a three-day State visit as a “unique example” of the existing good relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Bangabandhu’s vision still resonates to build a better world: UNOG DG
Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) Tatiana Valovaya has said the heritage of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his vision for pursuing peace, justice, development, and cooperation still resonates with their common efforts to build a better world.
Valovaya made the remarks at an event organised by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva in collaboration with the UNOG to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu and 100 years of multilateralism in Geneva.
Speaking as the chief guest on Tuesday, Valovaya referred to Bangabandhu’s historic speech in the United Nations General Assembly in 1974.
Read: Bangabandhu’s bust unveiled in Ankara as Bangladesh-Turkey ties deepen
She said that the latter’s ideas to build a better future through the united and concerted effort of the people remain relevant in the context of present day’s need for a more inclusive and effective multilateralism. She acclaimed Bangabandhu’s Unfinished Memoirs as an inspiration for a peaceful world.
Joy vows to build Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla together
Prime Minister's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Wednesday urged all to join hands in building “Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal)” envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“In this month of victory, let us channel all our thoughts and actions towards the same vision of building the Golden Bengal envisioned by Bangabandhu,” he said in a message shared on his verified Facebook page.
Read:Khaleda freed assassins of Bangabandhu, 4 leaders and made them ambassadors: Joy
As the month of victory rolls on, Joy said, it reminds the nation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali ever on the planet, and the three million martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
“We also pay tribute to the four national leaders whose dynamic leadership and uncompromising stance drove out even the last soldier of the heinous Pakistani Army and thus paved the path for hoisting the red and green flag of Bangladesh,” said Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He said December imbues their hearts with pride. “From the deepest core of my heart, I commemorate all the freedom fighters - the best souls of our nation - whose boundless sacrifice blessed us with free and sovereign Bangladesh.”
Read: Sajeeb Wazed Joy bags leadership award in IT
Joy said this 50th year of victory marks another landmark and they have transitioned from the lower-income status to the middle-income one.
“Awami League has already delivered on its promise to build Digital Bangladesh by the year 2021. We have another milestone to reach - joining the league of developed countries by the year 2041,” he said.
Collective efforts of all in attaining Independence won’t go in vain: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the Independence earned through the collective contributions and efforts of all will never go in vain.
"The independence that we achieved through the collective efforts of all must not fail," she said while addressing a reception at the Army Multipurpose Complex at Dhaka Cantonment.
She joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
The prime minister accorded the reception to the successors of Bir Sreshthas and other gallantry award-recipient freedom fighters on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day-2021.
She also distributed the highest medals for peace time among the recipients among the armed forces members for 2020-21.
Read:Khaleda always tried to wipe out Awami League, says Hasina
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, in favour of the Prime Minister, handed over the gifts and awards among the recipients.
Hasina said the prime aim of her government is to make the country a developed and prosperous Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal). “We’ve been relentlessly working to materialise that as it was the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”
"The advancement of the country must not get stalled …this is our vow on this year's Armed Forces Day," she insisted.
Awami League expels Gazipur mayor Jahangir
The ruling Awami League has expelled its Gazipur unit general secretary and city mayor Jahangir Alam for life for controversial comments on Bangabandhu and other local leaders.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at Ganabhaban chaired by party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday evening.
Earlier on October 3, Awami League issued a show cause notice to Gazipur City Mayor and the party’s metropolitan general secretary Jahangir Alam for his recent viral video of controversial comments on Bangabandhu regarding the number of people martyred during the Liberation War and other local leaders.
He was asked to reply to the letter within 15 days.
The letter said Jahangir’s viral comments ruined the image and popularity of the political organization.
Read: AL show-cause Gazipur Mayor over comment on Bangabandhu
It is equal to going against the interest of the organization and breaking its disciplines which is a punishable offence according to the party’s constitution, it said.
Jahangir was asked to explain in writing why organizational actions will not be taken against him via the letter.
Mayor Jahangir said he would reply to the letter within the deadline and would obey the party’s president Sheikh Hasina’s decision in this regard.
The mayor said conspirators and anti-election groups have spread the 'technologically manipulated video' as propaganda against him.
Meanwhile, local AL leaders and activists brought out processions in the town celebrating the party chief’s decision.
Metropolitan unit President Advocate Azmat Ullah Khan welcomed the expulsion of Jahangir Alam.
President Hamid calls for taking development benefits to people
President Abdul Hamid on Monday asked government officials and public representatives to work sincerely so the people can enjoy the benefits of development.
He was speaking at a meeting to exchange views with people from different walks of life including people's representatives of Itna upazila of Kishoreganj district at Itna.
The President recalled that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had first launched the task of rebuilding war-ravaged Bangladesh.
Also read: President's activities on day 2 of visit to home district
"Bangabandhu had opened a new horizon development along with reforms in every sector of the country. His visionary direction had taken war-torn Bangladesh to a stage of development in just three and a half years," he said
He added that Bangladesh could have gone a long way had Bangabandhu not been assassinated on August 15, 1975.
He said that the country’s development work was hampered due to Corona pandemic like other countries of the world.
However, Bangladesh has done better than many other countries because of the courageous and timely decisions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said.
The President also called upon all to come forward together to overcome the loss of Corona.
Referring to the development of haor areas he said it should be ensured that the local people get its benefits.
Members of Parliament Md. Afzal Hossain, Rezwan Ahmed Tawfiq and Secretaries to the President were present at the meeting.
Also read: President asks public representatives in home district to work sincerely
Earlier, President Hamid visited Itna Upazila Parishad development activities including under-constructed power station and extended building and shelter house of President Abdul Hamid Government College.
Before leaving for Itna, President visited the old Kachari house in Mithamein.
‘Lighting the Fire of freedom: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’ travels to Toronto
To celebrate the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50th year of Bangladesh, "Lighting the Fire of Freedom: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman" exhibition from Dhaka Art Summit 2020, is set to travel to Art Gallery of Mississauga, Canada.
The exhibitions will open from November 15 and run until January 12, 2022 at the Art Gallery of Mississauga.
The first iteration of the exhibition in 2020, was produced by Samdani Art Foundation and the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) in partnership with ICT Division and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, during the Mujib 100 year.
Read: Artworks of ARTivism competition winners from Bangladesh on display at COP26
The exhibition was also visited by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with her family.
At the invitation of AGM in Toronto, Samdani Art Foundation and CRI are bringing the exhibition to Toronto for the Canadian audience to learn about the Nation’s founder.
“As we celebrate the 50th years of Bangladesh in 2021, it is imperative that we pause and look back at the ideas and values that drove our independence movement. Bangabandhu strove to create a Shonar Bangla where every woman, man and child could live with dignity, free from poverty and oppression, irrespective of their religion, ethnicity, or personal beliefs," said Radwan Mujib Siddiq, Trustee of CRI.
Curated by Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury, "Lighting the Fire of Freedom: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman" offers intimate and little-known details about the life and work of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975).
To celebrate his birth centenary, the exhibition takes visitors on a chronological journey of his life, mapping out the ways in which he addressed the challenges facing the land now known as Bangladesh.
Many of the materials are on display for the first time, including personal photographs, newspapers, historic video footage, interactive audiovisual content, and modern and contemporary artworks.
Paintings from celebrated artist Zainul Abedin, including from his iconic famine series depicting hunger and displacement in wartime colonial Bengal (1943–1944), will be shown alongside paintings from Bangladeshi artists such as Shahabuddin Ahmed, Kabir Ahmed Masum Chisty and Saiyad Saif Ali, that respond to Bangabandhu’s ideas and legacy.
Read: Political parties recall Noor Hossain’s contributions to democracy
Parallel to the exhibition, Lighting the Fire of Freedom, AGM is also hosting another exhibition ‘Art of a Young Nation: Bangladesh’ Co-curated by Ali Adil Khan and Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury, Assistant Curator, Samdani Art Foundation, celebrates 50 years of Bangladesh, showcasing its vibrant arts and distinct culture from the past, the present and the future.
The 38 artists in this exhibition include Zainul Abedin, S.M. Sultan, Rashid Choudhury, Murtaja Baseer, Debdas Chakraborty, Mohammad Kibria, Monirul Islam, Qayyum Chowdhury, Hashem Khan, Shahabuddin Ahmed, Kalidas Karmakar, Biren Shome, Shahid Kabir, Kamal Kabir, Abdus Shakoor Shah, Farida Zaman, Rokeya Sultana, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Dilara Begum Jolly, Tayeba Begum Lipi, Hamiduzzaman Khan, Mahbubur Rahman, Mohammad Eunus, Mahmudul Haque, Mohammad Iqbal, Anisuzzaman Anis, Biswajit Goswami, Kuhu Plamondon, Nazia Andaleeb Preema, Vinita Karim, Bipasha Hayat, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa and from the diaspora, Alamgir Huque (Saskatoon), Syed Iqbal, Tajuddin Ahmed, Iftikaruddin Ahmed (Toronto), Mohammad Fakruzzaman (London, UK) and Md. Tokon (New York). Samdani Art Foundation has also partnered with this exhibition.
This is so far the largest celebration of the 50th year of Bangladesh and brth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman outside of Bangladesh in the sector of art, said the Samdani Art Foundation.
The Art Gallery of Mississauga is a public, not-for-profit, art gallery that provides platforms for exhibitions, collections and experimentation in contemporary culture with a recent focus on artists and cultural producers from Indigenous, newcomer and youth communities.
Secret documents on Bangabandhu to be nice resources for researchers: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the publication of “Secret Documents of Intelligence Branch on Father of the Nation, Bangladesh: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be excellent resources for researchers on Bangladesh’s politics and history as these unveiled how the Pakistani government snooped on Bangabandhu and his family.
“The real and complete history of the country from Language Movement to Independence will be found here; people across the globe will get ideas about the sacrifice and struggle of Bangabandhu,” she said.
Hasina said this at the international launching ceremony of the two publications titled “Secret Documents” and “Mujib & Introduction”. The Secret Documents is a collection of the Intelligence Branch Reports on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangladesh during the Pakistani period.
The Prime Minister unveiled the cover of the two publications at Claridge’s Hotel in London.
Talking about the newly-published volumes of secret documents, she said these volumes will provide useful insight for political leaders across nations and generations.
Read:Hasina for changing traditional lens of Bangladesh-UK relations
Mentioning that seven volumes of the publication being released, Hasina said these are documents and records kept by the Pakistan Intelligence Branch on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman since Pakistan had been created.
Stating that the Pakistan Intelligence Branch official followed his every movement and activity, the Prime Minister said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib served in prison for 3,053 days during the 24 years of Pakistan.
She also said it was not only Bangabandhu who was under watch, but also her mother Bangamata, Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, was under surveillance. “She had been under watch especially after the announcement of Six-Point Demand in 1966,” Hasina added.
She said these Secret Documents are not just a record of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib’s political struggle, rather these are historical accounts of how an independent nation was born. These documents are of critical importance for Bangladesh’s national history, she added.
Read:World must share responsibility of climate migrants: Hasina
Hasina said all these documents show how Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib’s political career took shape over the years and also showcase the immense sufferings and sacrifices of the Father of the Nation. These are narratives of the making of a national leader, a Statesman and an international political figure, she said.
The Prime Minister said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was targeted from the early days of his political life by those who opposed the values and principles he stood for. The same forces were responsible for the brutal end to his life, along with most of his family members, in August 1975, she added.
Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, conveyed thanks to Taylor & Francis Group for coming forward to partner with Hakkani Publishers of Bangladesh on these publications.
The Prime Minister said, “We renew our pledge to do justice to his struggles by realising his dream of building a ‘Sonar Bangla’.
Hasina also inaugurated an art exhibition titled ‘Bangabandhu and Britain: A Centenary Collection’.
PM’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana and her daughter Saima Wazed were present.