August 15 - History revisits Dhaka, Bangladesh and family of country's founder Mujib

August 15 - History revisits Dhaka, Bangladesh and family of country's founder Mujib

New Delhi

"I appeal to you to observe the National Mourning Day on 15th August (2024) with due dignity and solemnity. 

Pray for the salvation of all souls by offering floral garlands and praying at Bangabandhu Bhavan," saidformer Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her first statement post her ouster from office and the country that paradoxically was founded by her father Late Mujibur Rahman.

Sheikh Hasina is at present in India in a high security location.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh, was assassinated on Aug 15, 1975.

The military dictator Major General Ziaur Rahman had assumed power after the 1975 massacre at Dhanmondi 32. That was the address of Mujib. 

Sheikh Hasina, Mujib's eldest daughter was in Germany then, and hence she survived.

Just 10-day back, that is on Aug 5th, she had to quit office ending her uninterrupted 15-year-rule and flee to India along with her sister.

 Sheikh Mujibar Rahman and his 18 family members, including three sons and a young grandson were assassinated in a ruthless exercise by the 'right-wing' military officerson Aug 15, 1975. Of course the day coincides with India's Independence.

Among those killed were Mujib himself, his wife Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, their three sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and minor Sheikh Russel; the newly married brides of Kamal and Jamal -- Sulatana and Rosy and Bangabandhu's brother Sheikh Abu Naser.

"The Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose leadership we have gained self-esteem as an independent nation, got self-identity and got an independent country, has been grossly insulted," Hasina said in a statement on Aug 13 evening issued through her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who resides in London.

Only a week before, Sajeed had said his mother "had done with Bangladesh" as people were ungratefulbut the latest statement from his aging mother shows no one can yet predict the last words or sentenceof the developments of the country. 

India attained independence on August 15, 1947 and Pakistan was created by 'partitioning' India a day before on August 14th. 

East Pakistan - though a Muslim stronghold was dominated by linguistic Bengalipopulation and hence Mujib led the crusade against Pakistani military rulers and attained independencefor his country on March 26, 1971.

Sadly during the recent unrest in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh even statues of the country'sfounder were destroyed and vandalised by angry mobs who alleged his daughter Sheikh Hasina of running anautocrat regime for the last 15 years.

For records Sheikh Hasina won a fourth straight term in January in an election the opposition parties includinginfluential Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted and the U.S. State Department said was not free and fair.

BNP is headed by another former Prime Minister Khaleeda Zia, widow of 

Seventy eight years old Khaleeda Zia was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and second female prime minister in any Muslim country after Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan. 

In 1960 Khaleeda married Ziaur Rahman, then a captain in the Pakistan Army. Ziaur had led the mutinyand murderous coup against Mujib in 1975.

In 2015 it was reported that at least seven months before the 'Bangabandhu' was assassinated along withhis family members, a former Indian spy and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official had met him and warned against the conspirators.

"These are my own children and they will not harm me," Mujib had reportedly told the spy Rameshwar Nath Kao, who met him in December 1974 with the approval of the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Mujib's two daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, were in West Germany in August 1975 and so they survived.

The Dhanmondi House in Dhaka - where Bangladesh's founder Mujib and his family memberswere killed was turned into a tourist attraction with hundreds including from overseas visiting the

spot to pay homage to Asia's one of the greatest crusaders of liberty and free speech.

In 2017 December a group of Indian journalists including this correspondent visited the memorial.

Bloodstains on the walls and on the peeling green plaster certainly will bring to the fore the story of one of the most horrific killings of political stars and the family members in the sub-continent.

It may not be an exaggeration to state that a sense of chill runs through the spine as Indian journalists in 2017 December encountered the 'bullet marks' at the House.  

In 2022 Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. had sent mangoes for her Indian counterpartNarendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Of course, the bolstering Bangladesh-India ties and enhanced relationship of mutual trust and trade owe it to history around 1970-71 -- five decades back. Perhaps it also relates to India's undiluted rivalry with Pakistan.

On Aug 15, 1975, it is reported that Mujib was to visit Dhaka University and a grand ceremonious welcome awaited him. Even a 'citation' in Bangla was prepared.

Addressing Bangabandhu (Friend of Bangladesh, Mujib), the citation read, "You've said you want to turn Dhaka University into the National University. We want your kind sympathy, goodwill and consideration in this regard."

But that was never read out because the nascent country's national hero never visited the University that day.

The then Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) vice president, Mujahidul Islam Selim, in the early morning of August 15 (1975), received a phone call from the dean office of the arts faculty, "which informed him that Dhanmondi 32 was under attack", reported country's leading newspaper 'The Daily Star' in 2022. 

It was usual till last year on August 15, several Bangladesh newspapers published special supplements to mark Bangabandhu's visit to the Dhaka University.

Mujib was reportedly supposed to arrive at the university at 9:55 am. Upon entering the premises from the Curzon Hall area, he was supposed to visit different faculties and departments, pay tribute to martyred intellectuals and freedom fighters before delivering a speech at the Teacher-Student Centre around 11:40 am. 

Paradoxically, Mujib had enrolled himself in the university in December 1947 but varsity 

authority in 1949 had expelled him and several other students on charges of "instigating" a movement 

launched by class-four employees, demanding increase of salaries and allowances.

While Mujib did not live to visit Dhaka University on Aug 15, 1975; it was many years later only in 2010, the university authority withdrew the expulsion order, terming it "undemocratic and unjust", media reports said later. 

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