“He was killed in the hands of the people of the country whom he used to love deeply … He had faith in the people. He saw the traitors (before death), but could not see who had been behind it. The Bengali Nation could not keep his trust,” she said while placing a resolution in the House on the occasion of the ‘Mujib Borsho’ celebration.
The Prime Minister, also the Leader of the House, brought the resolution under rule 147 of the Rules of Procedure to pay solemn tribute to the Father of the Nation through a special discussion on his colourful political and work life and his philosophy in the House.
She said Bangabandhu was killed brutally giving so many false accusations and many propagandas were carried out after his death as well. “History can never be erased. History takes revenge,” she said.
Referring to the torture he was subjected to in Pakistan jail during the Liberation War, she said Bangabandhu never shared the torture stories with the family members saying they could not tolerate it.
A grave was dug for him while he was in Pakistan jail. General Yahya Khan also ordered to hang him, said Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu.
“Today, the Father of the Nation is not with us. But his ideology, his every word and line are very significant to us as these are lessons for us,” she said.
The name of Bangabandhu and his contribution to each of the movement, starting from the Language Movement, had been removed from history, said Sheikh Hasina.
“Even the Historic March 7 speech had been banned after the assassination of the Father of the Nation on August 15, 1975. This is unfortunate for us. The speech has now become a world documentary heritage,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the people could know the real history from Bangabandhu’s ‘Oshomapto Attojiboni’ (Unfinished Memoirs), ‘Karagarer Rojnamcha’ (Prison Diary) and ‘Amar Dekha Naya Chin’ (The New China as I Saw).
She said another book ‘Smritikatha’ written by the Father of the Nation is going to be published.
Returning to Bangladesh after the independence, Bangabandhu in his speech on January 10, 1972, asked all to remain united, but the people of the country could not remain united.
She said the then Cuban Prime of Minister Fidel Castro and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also warned Bangabandhu about the conspiracy against him. But Bangabandhu said they are the sons of his country. They are like his sons. Why would they kill him as he works for them?
In the resolution placed under rule 147 of the Rules of Procedure, the Prime Minister said Parliament is in opinion that the dreamer and architect of independent Bangladesh, the undisputed great leader of the Bengalis and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was born on March 17, 1920, in Tungipara in Gopalganj.
He had struggled throughout his life to establish the rights of Bengali nation, to achieve their political and economic emancipation. He had endured imprisonment, oppression and torture, but never compromised with injustice, she said.
The country’s independence had been achieved under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through the 1971 bloody war following the 24-year struggle and movement – Language Movement from 1947-48 to 1952, formation of Juktafront in 1954, the Six-Point Programme in 1966, Agartala conspiracy case in 1968, Mass Uprising of 1969 and the 1970 election, she continued.
In the resolution, Sheikh Hasina also said Bangabandhu presented the nation an independent country, red-green flag and the constitution. Bangabandhu created the scope for the Bengali nation to move in the international arena raising head as a proud nation with self-identity, she added.
He got only three and a half years to build a war-ravaged country. He started adopting and implementing the overall development plan of Bangladesh during the period, she continued.
“Let us pay our solemn respects to the greatest Bengali of all times, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, through a special discussion in Parliament over his colourful political and work life and philosophy on the occasion of ‘Mujib Borsho’ celebration marking his birth centenary in 2020,” said the Leader of the House concluding the resolution.
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