National Mourning Day
August 15 marks a black chapter in the history of this country—a day when the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with almost his entire family, was killed by a despicable group of people.
We thank Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her relentless efforts to make sure that killers of Bangabandhu were brought to justice—a task which otherwise might not have been possible had it not been for her.
After all, an ignominious law—namely the Indemnity Ordinance—had been promulgated by Khondaker Mostaque Ahmad and later validated through the 5th amendment by Ziaur Rahman in order to prevent trying those involved in the killing. On this sad occasion, we implore the government to speed up its efforts to bring the rest of the killers to book.
Bangabandhu's love, dedication and vision for the country were second to none. He is too big a phenomenon to be confined to certain political or geographical limits. His lifelong struggle to liberate the Bengalis from the Pakistani colonial masters has inspired many aspiring to be free across the world.
We recall with humility that The Daily Star was among the very first few newspapers, if not the only one, to have demanded August 15 to be declared as "National Mourning Day" in its editorial in 1993, and have done so subsequently too.
On this day, as the entire nation mourns Bangabandhu's death, let us rededicate ourselves with a renewed vigour to realise his fundamental mission: building a Sonar Bangla. Let us also reflect the ethos he always preached, and demonstrated in his life, in our collective being.
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