Nation set to observe National Mourning Day

The nation is set to observe the National Mourning Day on Saturday, marking the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the fateful night of 15 August, 1975 and this carnage is considered as the
ugliest chapter of the nation’s history.

The self-confessed killers of 15 August did not assassinate Bangabandhu
alone, but also killed 16 other members of his family, friends and relatives.

The martyrs included Bangabandhu’s wife Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, his sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, nephew and eminent journalist Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, his pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and colonel Jamil.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, escaped the planned assassination with her sister Sheikh Rehana as they were staying overseas then.

The killing of Bangabandhu, the greatest son of the soil in thousand years,
descended a pall of gloom and spread a sense of deep sadness among the people in the country and across the globe.

The world protested and condemned the killing, saying it is an irreparable
loss to millions of people of Bangladesh.

Like previous years, the government, Awami League and different political
and socio-cultural organisations, educational institutions and professional
groups chalked out elaborate programmes to pay the utmost respect to the greatest son of the soil on the day of his martyrdom, but this year all
programmes will be held by maintaining the social distancing in wake of the global pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19).

The nation, however, started observing the month of mourning from 1 August, recalling the most brutal killing in its history and renewing the pledge to safeguard perpetually the country’s independence and sovereignty.

The government drew elaborate programmes to observe the day with due
respect and solemnity. As part of the programme, the national flag will be hoisted half-mast atop the buildings of all government, semi-government, autonomous, educational institutions and private offices on the day.

Wreaths will be placed at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the city and a munajat will be offered there at 6:30am on 15 August.

Wreaths will also be placed at the graves of Bangabandhu’s martyred family members and other martyrs of 15 August, 1975 at Banani Graveyard in the city and offering fateha and munajat will be held there at 7:30 am on the day.

Wreaths will too be laid at the mazar of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj district around 10:00am. Fateha will be offered and a special doa will be held there maintaining social distancing.

To mark the National Mourning Day, special munajats will be offered at all
mosques across the country after Johr prayers while special prayers will take place at all temples, churches, pagodas and other places of worship at
convenient time.

Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television will air special programmes in
observance of the National Mourning day. National newspapers and magazines will publish special supplements on the occasion.

Besides, specially designed posters on Bangabandhu will be printed and
distributed while documentary on him will be screened on the occasion.

The specially designed posters on National Mourning Day will be displayed
at important public places, including at educational institutions or growth
centers, reminding the black chapter of the country’s history.

The posters and others programmes marking the day will be publicized
through LED display board at different public places.

Posts and telecommunication division will send SMS by Bangladesh
Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to all mobile users describing the significance of the National Mourning Day.

According to the inter-ministerial meeting, Bangabandhu Memorial Museum can organize lecture on the biography of Bangabandhu and National Mourning Day using virtual platforms on request of the educational institutions, Shishu Academy and such institutions.

In line with the national programmes, different ministries and divisions,
departments and agencies will organise various programmes at their respective institutions, maintaining social distancing and health guidelines. Use of virtual platforms should get priority in holding Mourning Day programmes.

District and upazila administrations will draw up their respective programmes, including discussions and doa mahfils, marking the National
Mourning Day maintaining the social distancing. Government officials will
join the programmes at district and upazila levels.

District councils and municipalities will join the programmes to be
organized by the district and upazila administrations while city corporations, municipalities and union parishads will also take programmes coinciding with the national programmes, maintaining social distancing, to observe the National Mourning Day with due respect at their respective institutions. Use of virtual platforms should get priority in holding Mourning Day programmes.

Bangladesh missions abroad will also hoist the national flag half-mast and
organize discussions marking the day.

The ruling AL has drawn up an elaborate programme centrally to observe the National Mourning Day to pay glowing tributes to Bangabandhu and
other martyrs of 15 August massacre and take a pledge to work for nation
building following the ideology of the father of the nation.

Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister
Obaidul Quader on Thursday called upon the party leaders and workers to
observe the programmes in a befitting manner maintaining the health
guidelines.

He also urged all progressive political, socio-cultural organisations and
the people to observe the National Mourning Day with due respect in the Mujib Year, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

As part of the party programmes, at dawn tomorrow, the national flag and
party flag will be kept at half-mast and black flag will be hoisted at the
Bangabandhu Bhaban, Awami League (AL) headquarters in the capital city and all other offices of the party across the country.

Tributes will be paid to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait on
Bangabandhu Memorial Museum premises on the city’s Dhanmondi road number 32 at 8:00am on the day while Dhaka city units of AL and its associate bodies will pay homage to Bangabandhu through mourning processions.

AL will also pay homage to all martyrs of 15 August carnage by laying
wreaths at Banani graveyard at 8:45am while offering fateha, munajat and doa mahfil will be held there.

Besides, homage will be paid to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his
mausoleum at Tungipara in Gopalganj and offering of fateha, munajat and doa mahfil will also be held there at 10:00am.

A delegation of the AL central working committee and its Gopalganj district
and Tungipara upazila units will take part in that programme.

The delegation members are Presidium Member Lieutenant Colonel (Retd)
Muhammad Faruk Khan, Central Working Committee Member Abul Hasnat Abdullah,
Presidium Members Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, Joint
General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organizing Secretaries BM Mozammel
Haque, SM Kamal Hossain, Mirza Azam and Advocate Afjal Hossain, Central
Working Committee Members Advocate ABM Riazul Kabir Kawser, Sahabuddin Farazi
and Anisur Rahman.

The party will also hold Doa and milad mahfils at mosques across the
country after Zohr’s prayers while special prayers will also be offered at
temples, pagodas, churches and all places of worships on the day.

In the afternoon, food will be distributed among the orphans, poor and
destitute people.

Besides, Mohila Awami League will hold a milad and doa mahfil on
Bangabandhu Bhaban premises after Asr prayers tomorrow and will arrange a
virtual discussion on August 18 marking the National Mourning Day.

Jubo Mahila League will organize another discussion on August 20 to mark
the day while Jubo League will hold a doa mahfil seeking eternal peace of the
departed souls of all 15 August martyrs, including Bangabandhu, and
distribute food among destitute people on the same day.

Apart from this, Jubo League will organize a discussion on August 25 while
Jatiya Sramik League and Mohila League will organize another discussion on
August 26 virtually to mark the National Mourning Day.

Dhaka south and north city units of AL will hold a discussion on August 30
while Chhatra League will hold another discussion on August 31, marking the
National Mourning day.