Hasina recalls Bangamata's immense contributions

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa had the unparalleled quality and capacity to give the right decision at any crisis and she helped Bangabandhu become the great leader.

She was addressing a programme marking the 88th birth anniversary of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka.

Hasina, the eldest of Bangabandhu and Bangamata's children, briefly narrated some incidents, including the historic March 7 Speech and the release of Bangabandhu and others in Agartala Conspiracy Case when Bangamata took some bold decisions at the right time.

Hasina said, “The defeated forces that never wanted the liberation of the country, the hypocrites who betrayed the country, did not spare my mother on August 15.”

She mentioned the suggestions of her mother to Bangabandhu before he had gone to deliver the historic March 7 address at Suhrawardy Udyan in 1971.

Hasina said Bangabandhu used to learn about the leaders and activists of the party through his wife when she met him in jail during the Pakistan period.

On the other hand, she said, Bangamata conveyed Bangabandhu's advice to party leaders and activists.

The prime minister said her mother sent a message to Bangabandhu not to accept the proposal of getting out of jail through parole in Agartala Conspiracy Case, and Bangabandhu rejected the parole proposal.

Bangabandhu wrote in details about his wife in his “Unfinished Memoir” from which many unknown aspects of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, including her mental strength, sacrifice, courage, wisdom and sufferings were revealed.

Fazilatunnesa was born at Tungipara village of the then Gopalganj sub-division.

She was assassinated along with Bangabandhu and most of her family members on August 15, 1975.