Published on 11:49 AM, August 14, 2015

Bangabandhu: Friend of the masses (video)

Bangabandhu had unqualified love for people. He could never believe that people of Bangladesh would do any harm to him. For his love, he even could not trust when he was informed that some army Majors were hatching conspiracy against him.


His release from the Pakistan prison might have boosted his confidence in people of Bangladesh.
Evidence says prior to his ouster from the presidency General Yahya Khan had signed the death warrant of Bangabandhu, leaving for his successor to execute the warrant.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who grabbed the presidency on December 20, 1971 however had not acted on this warrant fearing backlash of more than 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war at the hands of Bangladesh population. Bhutto had released Bangabandhu from the prison in early January of 1972.  
But the assassination of Chile's President Salvador Allende in an army coup in September 1973 had made concerned well-wishers of Bangabandhu for his security. Salvador's killing and overthrown of his government was an outcome of long conspiracy having international link.
Well-wishers of Bangabandhu had started warning him of a possible conspiracy against him. But he had never paid attention to it.
Conspirators had taken the advantages of Bangabandhu's belief and unqualified love for his people.
They had carried out the barbaric attack on his residence in the dawn of August 15, 1975, killing him and most of his family members. His government was overthrown. The country was out under martial law. Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed, commerce minister of Bangabandhu's government, grabbed the presidency as a reward for his link with the killers.
In return, Mushtaque termed the bloody changeover as "historic necessities". He had indemnified killers portraying them "brightest son of the soil." Gen Ziaur Rahman, who was the biggest beneficiary of the bloody changeover and was linked with the conspiracy, had continued patronising the killers. So, justice had effectively been buried for more than two decades. The killers were brought to book only after Awami League had come to power in 1996.
In an interview with eminent writer Dr. Humayun Azad, which was published in "Robbar" on December 2, 1984, national professor and renowned political scientist Abdur Razzaq was asked to comment about the major highlights of politics in Bangladesh in the preceding one decade.
In reply Prof Razzaq said: "It is correct that the country's common people -- rickshaw pullers, slum dwellers -- used to feel more proud. They used to feel a little more strength during the time of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I clearly understand that now a large number of people feel helpless to a great extent; they did not feel so earlier. Gandhi or Jinnah were people's leaders, they were not part of the people. But during the time of Mujib people started to feel that Mujib was part of them. Now that situation does not exist."
What Prof Razzaq said around three decades ago is still true. Common people still do not feel strength as they used to feel during time of their leader Bangabandhu.