National Mourning Day: Cherish the ideals, not just formalities

Today is 15th of August, the National Mourning Day. On this day in 1975, a group of misled members of the army killed the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The great leader who fought for the freedom of this country all his life, served in jail, who could not be killed by the Pakistanis even with the death sentence, he was killed with his family by his own countrymen. This is a great tragedy in our history.

After 15 August, one after another coups started taking place in the army. A counter-coup led by the then Chief of General Staff Khaled Mosharraf took place on 3 November. Although this rule did not prevail for long, he and his followers forced the murderous gang to leave the country and the resignation of Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmad from the presidency. Chief justice Abusadat Mohammad Sayem became the new president. Khaled Mosharraf was killed in the said sepoy-janata revolution on 7 November. Ziaur Rahman came to power at the time.

Bangabandhu's killers were forced to leave the country after 83 days of assuming power, but their shadow remained in the politics of Bangladesh for a long time. Khandkar Mushtaq Ahmad blocked the trial of Bangabandhu's murder by issuing an Indemnity Ordinance. During Ziaur Rahman's tenure, this indemnity got legal validity in the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament). Not only that, but his government gave the murderers diplomatic jobs abroad, which continued till the reign of Hussain Muhammad Ershad and Khaleda Zia. It was very shameful for the country and the nation.

Awami League came to power in 1996, repealed the Indemnity Ordinance and started the trial of Bangabandhu murder. Five murderers were hanged on 28 January, 2010 after a lengthy legal process. They were lieutenant colonel Syed Farooq Rahman, lieutenant colonel Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, major Bazlul Huda, lieutenant colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed (Artillery) and lieutenant colonel AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed (Lancer). Abdul Majed, one of the convicts, was on the run in Kolkata, India. He was brought back from there and executed on 10 April, 2021.

Five accused -- Khandkar Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, AM Rashed Chowdhury, Moslem Uddin and SH Noor Chowdhury -- are still absconding abroad. Another accused Aziz Pasha died abroad while on the run. Despite the government's claim that diplomatic efforts are being made to bring back those murderers from abroad, there has been little progress.

Among them, Noor Chowdhury is in Canada and Rashed Chowdhury is in the United States. Diplomatic efforts to bring back fugitive murderers abroad should be stepped up.

Bangabandhu's party Awami League has been in power continuously for 13 and a half years. They also have absolute dominance in the Jatiya Sangsad. People want to see that the the government and Awami League as a party will not only remember Bangabandhu in ceremonies, meetings and seminars but also will try to cherish his ideals. The political ideals for which Bangabandhu struggled throughout his life, establishing that ideal can be the highest respect for him.

Today we remember all those killed 47 years ago on 15 August, 1975.