Sayeda Farida Reza Noor
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Homecoming Day is on January 10. On this day in 1972, after being released from captivity in Pakistan, he returned to the land of newly independent Bangladesh. He was released on January 8 after serving nine months in Pakistan’s Mianwali prison. He later moved to London from Pakistan. Then Bangabandhu returned to Dhaka via Delhi.
On the occasion of the day, various parties and organizations including Awami League and its affiliated organizations have taken a massive program. The program includes hoisting of party and national flags at the party’s central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban and party offices across the country, laying of wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation and discussion meeting.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages on the occasion of the day. In the early hours of March 26, 1971, Bangabandhu declared the independence of Bangladesh and called upon the people of all walks of life to join the war of liberation. Immediately after the declaration of independence, he was arrested on the orders of General Yahya Khan, the military ruler of Pakistan, and taken to a prison in the then West Pakistan. Although the final victory was achieved after a nine-month war against the Pakistani army on 16 December 1971, the nation tasted the full victory with the return of Bangabandhu to his homeland on 10 January.
The Father of the Nation was released from Pakistan on the morning of January 7 1972 in the early hours of January 8, in English. On this day Bangabandhu and Dr. Kamal Hossain was handed over to the plane. They arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport at 8:30 am. After 10 pm, Bangabandhu spoke with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Edward Heath, Tajuddin Ahmed and the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and many others. The next day, on January 9, he left for the country on a British Air Force plane.
On the morning of the 10th he landed in Delhi. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of newly independent Bangladesh, received a warm welcome from the President of India VV Giri, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the entire cabinet, chief of staff, chiefs of the three forces and other guests and the people of that country. Bangabandhu expressed his sincere gratitude to the leaders and people of India for their generous help. He described his return to his homeland as “a journey from darkness to light.”
He arrived in Dhaka at 1:41 pm. After the final victory, on January 10, the Bengali nation was eagerly waiting to give a hearty welcome to Bangabandhu. Millions of people, overwhelmed with joy, gave him a spontaneous reception from Dhaka Airport to the racecourse ground. He spoke in the presence of about 10 lakh people at the racecourse ground at 5 pm.
The people rejoiced when Sheikh Mujib stood in Suhrawardy Udyan and said in his historic classical speech, “Today I have returned to Bengal to my Bengali brothers, mothers, sisters. Bengal is independent today, Bangladesh is independent today. ”
Bangabandhu said, “You have got me. I’m coming. Little did I know that my death sentence had been carried out next to my cell, and a grave had been dug for me. I was ready, I said I am Bengali, I am human, I am Muslim, Muslim does not die once or twice. I will not insult my Bengali caste, I will not apologize to you. And when I leave, I will say Joy Bangla, Swadhin Bangla, Bengali is my nation, Bengali is my language, Bengali soil is my place. ” Respectfully, he recalled the sacrifices of all and encouraged everyone to work for the betterment of the country, saying: “My request from today, my order from today, as a brother, not as a leader, not as prime minister, not as president. I am your brother, you are my brother.
The writer is Women’s Affairs Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Central Sub-Committee
