15 August is the National Mourning Day. On this day in 1975 we have lost the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh to its independence. Following this gruesome murder, on 3 November the assassins killed Bangabandhu’s four closest aides, also four national leaders, inside the Dhaka central jail just before leaving the country, to leave the country leaderless.
On that day, the assassins not only killed Bangabandhu, they killed all his family members including minor Sheikh Russel. Bangabandhu’s two daughters – Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana -- escaped as they were abroad that time. But the way the nation should have protested this appalling killing, could not be done. That is why 15 August is a day of introspection as well.
Since the 15 August, Bangladesh Army saw a series of coups. Though a counter-coup did take place under the leadership of Khaled Musharraf on 3 November, he could not stay in power for long. Khaled Musharraf was toppled and killed in the so-called sepoy revolution of 7 November that year. Following this Ziaur Rahman came to power. Though the killers of Bangabandhu were forced to leave the country on the 83rd day of the condemnable murder, their apparitions loomed large in Bangladesh’s politics for long. The subsequent governments of Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Khaleda Zia appointed the assassins as Bangladesh envoys, which was a disgraceful affair for the nation. The government of the post-1975 murder stopped the trial enacting a law that was in force until Awami League came to power.
The trial of Bangabandhu murder began when Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina came to power in 1996. After long and arduous legal proceedings, five assassins were executed on 28 January 2010. They are – Lt. Col. Syed Faruque Rahman, Lt. Col. Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Major Bazlul Huda, Lt. Col. Mohiuddin Ahmed (Artillery) and Lt. Col. AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed (Lancer). After a long time, it was known that one of the main convicts of Bangabandhu’s murder, Abdul Majed, was hiding in Kolkata, India. He was brought home and executed on 10 April last year. Five convicts – Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, AKM Rashed Chowdhury, Moslem Uddin and SH Nur Chowdhury -- are still hiding abroad. Another convict Aziz Pasha died while on the run abroad.
The government said diplomatic efforts are underway to bring the rest of the convicts back to the country. Among them, Nur Chowdhury is in Canada and Rashed Chowdhury is in the US. The exact location of others remains uncertain. Strong diplomatic efforts are required to bring them back.
The party of Bangabandhu is in power for the last 12 years. That is why people would like to see that the government and his party will not turn remembering him into a formal affair, but rather take steps to implement his ideologies. Establishing a democratic and exploitation-free society would be paying highest respect to Bangabandhu for which he fought his whole life. We remember the people killed on 15 August with due respect.