The month of mourning begins today for the nation to recall once again the most brutal killing in its history and renew the pledge to safeguard perpetually the country’s independence and sovereignty. The killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on the fateful night of Aug 15, 1975 is the ugliest chapter of the nation’s history.
The self-confessed killers of Aug 15 not only assassinate Bangabandhu, but also killed 16 other members of his family including his wife Begum Fazilanunnessa Mujib, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, nephew and eminent journalist Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, his pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and Colonel Jamil.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, escaped the planned assassination along with her sister Sheikh Rehana as they were staying overseas then.
The killing of Bangabandhu descended a pall of gloom and spread a sense of deep sadness among the people in the country and across the globe. The world protested and condemned the killing saying it is an irreparable loss to millions of people of Bangladesh.
The August is also black marked with another conspiracy of assassination. The nation cannot ever forget the heinous attempt of killing of Sheikh Hasina. The Bangladesh Awami League President was attacked with grenades while attending an anti-terrorism rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital on Aug 21 in 2004.
Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack while 24 of her party members including Bangladesh Awami League’s women’s affairs secretary Ivy Rahman were killed and at least 500 others injured.
- Compiled
