DHAKA, Jan 9, 2021 (BSS) – The historic Homecoming Day of Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of
all time, will be observed tomorrow across the country in a befitting
manner.
Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the nation and supreme
commander of the country’s Liberation War, returned to the sacred soil
of independent Bangladesh via London and New Delhi on January 10 in
1972, after 290 days of confinement in Pakistan jail.
The Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu this year came with an extra
significance as it coincided with Father of the Nation’s birth
centenary celebrations, just three months ahead of the golden jubilee
of the country’s independence.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued
separate messages paying glowing tributes to Father of the Nation on
the eve of the Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu.
Marking the day, ruling Awami League (AL) has taken various
programmes to observe the historic Homecoming Day of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman tomorrow.
The AL’s programmes will start with hoisting of the national and
party flags at the AL central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban, and party
offices across the country around 6:30am tomorrow, said a press
release here today.
AL leaders and workers will place wreaths at the portrait of
Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi at 9 am.
Later, a discussion will be held in a limited scale, maintaining the
health guidelines, at the party’s central office in the city’s
Bangabandhu Avenue at 3.30pm.
Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina will
address the discussion through a videoconferencing from her official
Ganabhaban residence in the city.
Besides, all district, city, upazila, thana, union and ward level
units of AL, its associate and likeminded bodies will organize similar
programmes coinciding with the central programme to observe the day in
a befitting manner.
In a statement, AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges
Minister Obaidul Quader today urged all party leaders and workers and
its associate and likeminded bodies to observe all the programmes
marking Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day in a befitting manner,
maintaining the health guidelines.
On the night of March 25, 1971, Pakistan army arrested Bangabandhu
from his Dhanmondi residence and sent him to a West Pakistani jail the
following day.
Bangabandhu was subjected to inhuman torture in the Pakistan jail
where he had been counting moments for the execution of his death
sentence that was pronounced in a farcical trial.
“I was a prisoner in the condemned cell awaiting hanging. From the
day I went into jail, I didn’t know whether I was to live or not. I
was mentally ready to die. But I knew Bangladesh would be liberated,”
Bangabandhu spoke emotionally about his ordeal in Pakistani prison at
a news conference in London.
On the Pakistani army’s slaughter of Bengalis, Mujib declared: “If
Hitler could have been alive today, he would be ashamed.”
Earlier on March 26 in 1971, Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of
Bangladesh and urged people from all walks of life to participate
wholeheartedly in the nation’s War of Liberation.
Immediately after the proclamation of independence, Bangabandhu was
arrested by Pakistani military junta and then flown to West Pakistan
to keep him in prison there.
Though the final victory in the nine-month-long bloody War of
Liberation was achieved defeating Pakistani occupation forces on
December 16 in 1971, the nation’s expectations were fulfilled and the
people got the real taste of victory with the homecoming of
Bangabandhu on January 10, 1972.
On reaching Dhaka (Tejgaon) airport in the afternoon on January 10,
Bangabandhu was greeted by tens of thousands of jubilant people who
had been eagerly waiting to see their beloved leader since the final
victory on December 16 in 1971.
From airport Bangabandhu was moved to the Racecourse Maidan (now
Suhrawardy Udyan) where he addressed a spontaneous reception accorded
to him by the cheerful countrymen believed to be one million.
He recalled with respect the contribution of all during the war and
urged the people to rebuild the war-ravaged country.
Bangabandhu took oath of office as the country’s Prime Minister on
January 12, 1972.
