In the eyes of youth

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman comes to the mind of Raihan Khan, a 20-year-old private university student, every time he gets stuck in the city traffic, thanks to movement of VIPs. 

“Bangabandhu never had such entourage that would have kept his people waiting. His simplicity despite being a leader of towering height in the post-independence era amazes me most,” he said of his impression of the founding father based on the knowledge he gathered from different sources.

Bangabandhu never distanced himself from the people as reflected in his choice of staying in his own house on Road 32 of Dhanmondi instead of living in Bangabhaban.

“That simplicity perhaps cost his and most of his family members’ life,” Raihan said.

Sariful Islam, a student of South Asian University of New Delhi, said the younger generation of the country has a lot to learn from the attitude of Bangabandhu.

Prothom Alo talked with a number of youth to know their understanding of Bangabandu ahead of his 99th birth anniversary. He was born on 17 March 1920.

“He fought his whole life for emancipation of Bangalee nation. In his life span of 56 years, he spent more than 12 years in jail. He was a born leader and a fighter. I love such fighting spirit the most,” said Manjarul Karim, a student of MC College of Sylhet.

Bangabandhu spent 4,682 days in jail, Awami League leader and the then commerce minister Tofail Ahmed told parliament on 7 March 2017.
Abu Talib, a former student of Dhaka University said he thinks the nation would not have been liberated without leadership of Bangabandhu.
“We were born in an independent nation because of Bangabandu. He envisioned a free Bangladesh right after the birth of Pakistan in 1947 and started his struggle,” Abu Talib said.

Another student of Dhaka University, who preferred not to be named, said he is fond of the lifelong fight of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for establishing democracy and equal rights for the erstwhile east Pakistani people.

But, he regretted, democracy stumbled after the killing of Bangabandhu on 15 August, 1975 and it was never fully recovered.

“Bangabandhu fought for democracy during his entire life. But, do you find democracy in the country today? Democracy is confined. So, we failed to honour Bangabadhu’s first and foremost creed,” he added.