President, PM urge new generation to follow ideals of Bangabandhu

FT ONLINE 

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have called upon the new generation to follow the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as his ideals are eternal source of inspiration.

The head of the state and head of the government made the call in televised address on Tuesday on the occasion of the inauguration of the birth centenary celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“Bangabandhu is not amidst us . . . but his ideals are our eternal source of inspiration,” said Hamid in his televised address.

Noting that Bangabandhu was the symbol of the principle and ideology, Abdul Hamid said his books, including ‘Unfinished Memoirs’ and ‘Prison Diaries' would help new generation know about the life and works of Bangabandhu.

Being imbued with the ideal of the Father of the Nation, he categorically said the young generation would contribute to nation-building in days to come.

The principles and ideals of Bangabandhu should be spread from generation to generation and the young generation would be courageous and dedicated, the President hoped.

He said the ‘Mujib Barsha’s pledge should be to continue united efforts, being imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War, to complete the unfinished tasks of the Father of the Nation and turn the country into a “Sonar Bangla”.

“We achieved ultimate victory on December 16, 1971 through a nine-month armed struggle under the leadership of Bangabandhu,” the President said.

Bangla, Bangladesh and Bangabandhu have become a common entity for his outstanding contribution to the country and its people, President Hamid observed.

At the very outset of his speech, the President paid a glowing tribute to Bangabandhu, the greatest Bangali of the thousand years, and simultaneously thanked countrymen and expatriate Bangladeshis to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu amid festivity and joyous manner in Bangladesh and all Bangladesh missions abroad.

In the early forties of the last century, as a young student leader, having come into contact with Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Haque and Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, Bangabandhu got involved in active politics, he mentioned.

Recalling his long successful political career, President Hamid, a very close aide of the Father of the Nation, said Bangabandhu led all democratic and freedom movements, including Sarbodolio Rashtrobhasa Sangram Parishad (All Party State Language Action Committee) in 1948, Language Movement in 1952, Jukta-Front Election in 1954, movement against Martial Law in 1958, Six-Point Movement in 1966, Mass Upsurge in 1969 and General Elections in 1970.

He continued the great leader was sent to jail several times and had to bear inhuman sufferings for his active participation in those movements. Despite manifold challenges, he did never compromise with the Pakistani rulers on the question of establishing the rights of Bengalis, Hamid added.

Referring to the 7th March Speech at the then Race Course Maidan, he said how an address can arouse the whole nation and inspire the people to leap into the War of Liberation for independence, the historic March 7 speech by Bangabandhu is a unique example.

The President said UNESCO has recognised the 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu as part of the “World’s Documentary Heritage” and included it in the “Memory of the World International Register” on October 30, 2017 while the Newsweek Magazine in its April 5, 1971 issue termed Bangabandhu as the “Poet of Politics” for this historic address.

On the black night of March 25, he said, when Pakistani invaders swooped on the innocent and unarmed Bengalis, the Father of the Nation proclaimed the long-cherished Independence on 26th March in 1971.

Born on March 17 in 1920 at Tongipara of Goplagang, the President said, country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was an ephemeral great man and from his childhood he was extremely humane but uncompromising on attaining the rights.

The speeches of the president and the prime minister was aired simultaneously by all electronic media, including Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar, online and social media.

Urging the new generation to build themselves as worthy citizens by following Bangabandhu’s ideology, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the people of the country will stay awake with his ideology and uphold the flag given by him forever.

“You (father) are lying near the lap of your parents under the green-covered ground in Tungipara. Father, sleep in peace … your Bangladesh is marching towards advancement at an indomitable pace and will go ahead further,” she said.

The premier added: “The people of the country and the generation after generation will stay up bearing your ideals in the hearts in your dreamt Sonar Bangladesh … the flag given by you will fly forever.”

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina quoted a famous song of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore.

 “Tomar pataka jare dao (those whom you give your flag), tare bohibare dao shakti (give him strength to bear it). Tomar sebar mahot proas sohibare dao bhakoti (give devotion to have patience for the noble initiative of service).”

The premier reiterated her firm commitment to build ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Bangabandhu. “Father, it’s our pledge to you that we must build ‘Sonar Bangla’ as you dreamt and those days are not far away,” she said

Sheikh Hasina said today Bangladesh has taken a prestigious position around the world. “We’ve to advance further by building a hunger-and-poverty-free developed and prosperous Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation,” she said.

The prime minister called upon the children, juveniles and youth-folk to love the country and its people and build themselves as good citizens being imbued with the ideology of the Father of the Nation.

 “It’s my appeal to today’s children, juveniles and youths to love the country and its people as we earned independence at a cost of a huge sacrifice,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina went on saying: “You’ve to love the people in the way the Father of the Nation did it … you’ve to build yourselves as worthy citizens so that as an independent nation, you can move on the world stage by holding your head high.”

The prime minister said brutal bullets of killers took away the life of the Father of the Nation and they (killers) tried to wipe out his name from the history of Bangladesh, but they could not succeed.

 “The murderers could not realise that from the stairs of Road No. 32 residence, Bangabandhu’s blood spread across the country by giving birth to crores of Mujib,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the people of Bangladesh have awakened in the quest of the truth. “The history and the truth cannot be suppressed by the falsehood,” she said.

The prime minister said the birthday of Bangabandhu is not being celebrated only in Bangladesh, it is also being observed across the globe. “The whole world came to know Bangabandhu by dint of his sacrifice,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said today is March 17 and on this day in 1920, a great man was born in this Bangla and “he is my father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”

The prime minister said Bangabandhu gifted this state named Bangladesh and gave Bangalees the status of self-identity as a nation. “That’s why he is our Father of the Nation,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said sacrificing all happiness and amusement, Bangabandhu had struggled, and suffered jail time and again in his entire life aiming to free the distressed people from the vicious circle of hunger and poverty.

 “The plight of people had hurt him and he didn’t hesitate to do any sacrifice to establish the rights of underprivileged people. He had become the dearest to the people of this land and that’s why he is Bangabandhu,” she said.

The prime minister said since his childhood, the Father of the Nation used to be saddened seeing the sufferings of the people.

She said Bangabandhu had distributed his personal belongings like clothes, books and umbrellas among the poor.

 “Even he (Bangabandhu) had shared his meals with others and during the famine, he distributed ‘his stored paddy’ among the poor people … he had felt happy by doing something for the people,” she said.

The prime minister said the Father of the Nation had no personal expectation in his life. “He wanted to ensure a developed and beautiful life for the country’s people. That’s why his sacrifice did not go in vain,” she said.

At the outset of her speech, Sheikh Hasina extended heartfelt greetings of Mujib Year on her own behalf as well as her sister Sheikh Rehana to all Bangladesh nationals at home and aboard along with the world community.

Beginning today, she said, the ‘Mujib Year’ will be observed till March 26 in 2021, and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence will be celebrated in 2021.

The premier said not only in Bangladesh, different friendly countries and international organisations like Unesco and OIC have also become partners of Mujib Year celebration. “I express gratitude and gratefulness to all of them,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina also expressed her gratitude to the Almighty Allah for giving the opportunity to celebrate Mujib Year.

 “This is a big achievement in our life, which cannot be explained in language. I deeply express my gratefulness to the countrymen – those who gave us the scope to celebrate the Mujib Year by bestowing the responsibility upon my party – Bangladesh Awami League – to run the country for the third consecutive term,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina expressed her thanks to all, who gave their hard labours to make successful the celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation.

The prime minister mentioned some changes have been brought in the inaugural ceremony due to worldwide coronavirus outbreak. “But we’ll celebrate Mujib Year throughout the year through various programmes,” she said.

For the same reason, Sheikh Hasina said, visits of foreign guests have been postponed.

She, however, said King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen and several other foreign leaders extended greetings by sending video messages.

 “I’m personally and on behalf of the people of Bangladesh extending thanks and gratitude to them,” she said.

In her speech, the premier also recalled with profound respect four national leaders and martyrs of the liberation war and also expressed deep sympathy to repressed mothers and sisters and war-wounded freedom fighters.