The historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all times, is being observed today across the country in a befitting manner. Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the nation and supreme commander of the country's Liberation War, returned to the sacred soil of independent Bangladesh via London and New Delhi on Jan 10 in 1972, after 290 days of confinement in Pakistan jail.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of the day paying glowing tributes to the Father of the Nation, local media reported.
Ruling Bangladesh Awami League has taken various programmes to observe the historic day. Awami League's programmes began with hoisting of the national and party flags at the Awami League central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban, and its party offices across the country at 6.30 a.m. while party leaders and activists paid homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city's Dhanmondi-32 at 8.30 a.m. On the occasion, a rally will be held at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka at 2.30 p.m. on the day with Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Besides, all district, city, upazila, thana, union and ward level units of the Awami League, its' associate and likeminded bodies will organise similar programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner.
In a statement, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged all party leaders and activists and its associate and likeminded bodies to observe the programmes taken to mark the Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day in a befitting manner.
At the night of Mar 25 in 1971, Pakistan army arrested Bangabandhu from his Dhanmondi residence and sent him to a West Pakistani jail the following day.
Bangabandhu was subjected to inhuman torture in the Pakistan jail where he had been counting moments for the execution of his death sentence that was pronounced in a farcical trial.
"I was a prisoner in the condemned cell awaiting hanging. From the day I went into jail, I didn't know whether I would be alive or not. I was mentally ready to die. But I knew Bangladesh would be liberated," Bangabandhu spoke emotionally about his ordeal in Pakistani prison at a news conference in London.
About the Pakistan army's genocide on Bangalees, Mujib said: "If Hitler had been alive today, he would have been ashamed."
Earlier, on Mar 26 in 1971, Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of Bangladesh and urged people from all walks of life to participate wholeheartedly in the nation's War of Liberation.
Immediately after the proclamation of independence, Bangabandhu was arrested by Pakistani military junta and then flown to West Pakistan to keep him in prison there.
Though the final victory through the nine-month-long bloody War of Liberation was achieved defeating Pakistani occupation forces on Dec 16 in 1971, the nation's expectations were fulfilled and the people got the real taste of victory with the homecoming of Bangabandhu on Jan 10, 1972.
On reaching Dhaka (Tejgaon) airport in the afternoon on Jan 10, Bangabandhu was greeted by tens of thousands of jubilant people who had been eagerly waiting to see their beloved leader since the victory on Dec 16 in 1971. From the airport, Bangabandhu was escorted to the Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) where he addressed a spontaneous reception accorded to him by the cheerful countrymen believed to be one million. He recalled with deep respect the contribution of all during the war and urged the people to rebuild the war-ravaged country.
Bangabandhu took the oath of office as the country's Prime Minister on Jan 12 in 1972.
