Nation mourns Bangabandhu's assassination

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina pays tribute by spreading rose petals on the graves of he family members and the other martyrs of August 15 at the Banani Graveyard in the capital on Thursday. Photo: BSS

The National Mourning Day is being observed across the country on Thursday marking the 38th anniversary of the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid glowing tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 in the morning on the occasion by placing wreaths.

At the first hour of the National Mourning Day, the President and the Prime Minister placed wreaths at the portrait at the same time around 6:30am.

After placing the wreaths, they stood in solemn silence there for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the Father of the Nation and the martyrs of the August 15.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paying tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 in the capital Thursday morning on the occasion of National Mourning Day. Photo: BSS

A munajat (concluding prayer) was also offered seeking the eternal peace of Bangabandhu and martyrs of August 15.

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Cabinet members, PM's advisers, members of parliament, the chiefs of the three services, senior leaders of the ruling Awami League and 14-party alliance and senior government officials were present.

Later, the Prime Minister, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, placed a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of her party.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at the mazar of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj on Thursday morning marking the 38th martyrdom anniversary of the great leader.

The President first placed the wreath paying homage to Bangabandhu and he was followed by the Prime Minister.

After placing the wreaths at the mazar, the President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence for some time.

The chiefs of the three services also gave salute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also offered fateha and joined the munajat seeking the eternal peace of the departed soul of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of August 15, 1975.

Flanked by the central leaders of Awami League, Hasina as the party president placed another wreath at the mazar of Bangabandhu.

The President and the Prime Minister later joined a doa mahfil arranged jointly by the Cabinet Division and Gopalganj district administration on the mazar premises marking the National Mourning Day.

A special munajat was offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of August 15, 1975 as well as for the welfare, peace and prosperity of the nation.

Cabinet members, PM's advisors, parliament members, senior Awami League leaders, other leaders of ruling 14-party combine and senior government officials were present.

Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with her family members visited the Banani Graveyard in the city Thursday morning and offered fateha at the graves of the August 15 martyrs.

Sheikh Hasina and her other family members offered fateha at the graves of Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib, Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Russell and the other martyrs of August 15.

They also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs.

On August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s architect, was assassinated along with most of his family members by a group of derailed army officers.

Bangabandhu’s two daughters -- Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana -- escaped the gruesome murder as they were in Germany at that time.

The day is observed as the National Mourning Day.

Elaborate programmes have been chalked out by the government as well as political parties and other socio-cultural organisations to mark the day.

The national flag is flying at half-mast at all government, semi-government, autonomous offices, educational institutions and Bangladesh missions abroad on the occasion of the National Mourning Day.