The 15th August is a red letter day in the history of India. This day marks the proclamation of Independence from 200 years of British colonial rule and exploitation. On the other hand it’s a black day for Bangladesh as the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu was massacred with his family by a misled group of Bangladesh army personnel,ex army persons,ultra revolutionaries and most importantly with the help of strong international conspiracy participated by forces who could not digest the emergence of Bangladesh.
We the Bangladeshis are ever grateful and respectful to the friendly Government of India for honouring our grief. In Bangladesh,no Indian representative office holds any official party to rejoice the Great Independence Day. They observe the day by holding flag hoisting and other meetings to observe the significance of the day.
Now,coming back to the black month of August,we must discuss another notorious activity which took place on 21August,2004. Two daughers of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Hasina(the present PM) and her sister could survive the carnage of 15 August being on foreign tour. They were not allowed to return to Bangladesh,which tantamounts to devoiding them of basic human,civic and constitutional rights. They were given political asylum in India by PM Indira and survived the black period until Hasina could come back to the country at the request of the then Awami League leaders to take up the leadership of the country fighting the covert military rule. Then there was no looking back. She started organising and strengthening the party and finally after 21 years of black rule(against the basic principals for which Bangladesh was created) she succeeded in bringing the Awami League back to power. Anti Bangladesh powers never could stand or tolerate her. In fact,they wanted to destroy the whole family so that thr legacy of Bangabandhu does not return. They wanted the country to be run in the Pakistani line. The conspiracies started again. One after another attempts followed. Thete was no success yet. After a five year term from 1996 Sheikh Hasina was dislodged from power and during the rule of the next Government,with apparently its full support,the strongest attempt on Hasina’s life was plotted against her life in the same black month. 21st August was set as the D-day.
A few days prior to that fundamentalist forces carried out a bomb attack on HE Anwar Chowdhury,the then British Highcommissioner to Bangladesh. Fortunately not much damage could be done.
Awami League arranged a protest meeting in the capital’s Bangabandhu Avenue to organise popular understanding against such criminal activities. The attendance was huge. When the meeting was being addressed by the Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina(the then Leader of Opposition in the Parliament),the brutal attack came down. Arges grenades,other combustibles,molotov cocktails,hand made grenades and reportedly snipers were also used. The savage attack took away the lives of 24 people. Many more were injured and disabled. The leader herself had injuries which has caused her severe hearing impairment. Since she was the main target waves of attacks followed from different directions. The leader was saved by a human shield of Awami Leage leaders and workers many of whim lost their lives,limbs or suffered bodily impairments. Famous Awami League leader Ivy Rahman (wife of later President of Bangladesh HE Zillur Rahman) was severely injured and succumbed to her injuries a few days later. Sheikh Hasina’s dedicated bodyguard Mahbub took a bullet on himself making supreme sacrifice to save his leader. If not for him,that bullet would have taken away the life of the Hope of Bangladesh.
In the beginning the then Government was trying to do a mockery of the case trying to involve Tom, Dick and Jerries. Finally when Awami League came back to power,a proper investigation started. Charge sheet was prepared and a proper judicial process started . Many high ups of the Government were also brought under thr net of the huge plot. Finally in 2018 ,19 of the accused were given the capital punishment. 19 others were sentenced to life and few others got other lighter sentences. The judgement is under appeal procedure currently.
On this day we condemn the henious attackers and their plotter bosses. Show deepest respect to all the martyrs of the day who lost their life to bring back democracy and fight fundamentalism.
Long live the Honourable PM who is leading the country towards development. Long live Sheikh Hasina!
