Barrister S M Saifullah Rahman

15^th August 1975- a day when the skies, the soil and the wind of this golden nation, bore the burden of losing its greatest son. The day which was engulfed in grief of an irreparable loss, written in the pages of history with the blood of a man who lost his life in the hands of those he loved, those he so dearly cherished!  The darkness of the night was about to diminish with the light of daybreak, but little did the nation know, that this night was ending at the beginning of a new and bitter darkness, soon to follow. The horror that ensued and the blood that was spilled on the stairs of a hallowed home in Dhanmondi 32, shook every heart residing within the nation.

The betrayal was one that brought despise and hatred towards some cowardly blood mongers from every ends of the globe. The man who brought the red and green flag- the flag that resonated the beauty of freedom- was brutally murdered, along with his innocent family. It was almost unbelievable that the man who inspired an ignition of revolution, to break free from the chains of an unspoken slavery, risking his life countless times for his nation’s people, was only paid back with heinous betrayal and hateful prejudice. The man who committed to build a nation full of a beautiful harmony of democracy, nationalism, securalism and socialism, had to be stopped by the hyenas who opposed the freedom of Bangalis in the first place.  Because had our beloved Father of the Nation lived, their conspiracy to enslave us would be obliterated through his enigmatic voice of defiance and resilience.  However, the question remains, could they really kill our beloved Father of the Nation? Could they silence the voice that was awakened in the hearts of every Bangali through the empowered of our beloved Architect of Freedom? The answer is is quite very simple.

Undeniably, the greatest Bengali to have ever lived, our beloved Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, lives in the heart of every Bengali even today and would live on forever for the heroism that brought significance to the word Bangali itself. He was not killed, but rather immortalized in the books of history, engraved preciously for every future generations to come.  What transpired on that tragic day? The hungry bloodmongers devised a carefully crafted plan to ensure that none bearing the blood of this national hero survives. In this disgusting plan, they did not spare the innocent young kid, Sheikh Russell, whose face would melt the heart of the hardest soul. However it did nothing to calm the hearts of these devils wearing the masks of a man. They went on to annihilate the entire family- the mother of the nation, Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, the bright youngster who could bear the torch of their heroic father, Sheikh Kamal, the man who was a war-hero himself, fighting valiantly in the war of independence, Sheikh Jamal, their innocent wives, and many others residing within Dhanmondi 32.  However, was this disgusting killing confined to Dhanmondi 32 only? No. How could they stop there? They had to ensure that they destroy the most trusted cohorts of the Father of the Nation. And this caused them to target the households of Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani and Abdur Rab Serniabat, because they knew that they held the key to ignite fire in the hearts of every bangali to avenge the ruthless killings of the Father of the Nation and his innocent family.

And as planned they succeeded to silence the burning rage of Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani, the most trusted prodigy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. His beloved wife, Arzu Moni, was also martyred in the process. However, their sons survived by the Blessings of Almighty, and currently serving the nation in the footsteps of their father, who if alive till today, would be deeply proud of their accolades. The eldest son Sheikh Fazle Shams Porosh, is the incumbent Chairman of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, the very institution established by his martyred father Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni to inspire and motivate the youth of the nation in building a golden nation, and the younger brother, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, is a former Member of Parliament and the incumbent Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation.

This darkest chapter in history is truly a heart wrenching moment for every Bangali.  However, in a miraculous turn of events, the conspiracy of the bloodmongers to drag us back into the pit of darkness filled slavery, was foiled by the defiance and rise of the daughter of the Father of the Nation, the Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina MP. The Honourable Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, crowned and termed as the “Mother of Humanity” has held the country with iron hands, deterring the evil hands of the conspirators, and is committed towards building a beautiful nation, as envisioned by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Today, Bangladesh grows with hope and serenity, aspiring to rise as a powerful and economically profound nation within the heart of the globe. Bangladesh is celebrated as an emerging nation and acknowledged to be a rising superpower by the decorated superpowers of the world.

And thus, never can we forget and never can we thank enough, our beloved Father of the Nation for what he has given us. Let us remember all the martyrs of 15^th August 1975, and hold them dear to our hearts and memories, and never let them fade, even for a moment.

The Writer is Member, Central Committee, Bangladesh Awami Jubo League