15 August National Mourning Day Bangladesh

15th August: Darkest Chapter Of History

Every August 15th is National Mourning Day in Bangladesh, a day designed to remember and mourn the brutal murder of the nation’s first president, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who also led their independence movement against Pakistan.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated by a small group of army officers as part of a coup that put Bangladesh under military rule from 1975 till 1991.

It’s a day when all beings of whole Bengal, even the nature drop tears. Because, this day of August, back in 1975 it seemed like this rainy August and brutal bloodshed of Bangabandhu were the representation of the weeping of the sky itself crying out of extreme grievance.

On the fateful night of August 15 in 1975, some disgruntled and over ambitious army officers assassinated Bangabandhu at his Dhanmondi, Road-32 residence in the capital.

Not only was the “Father of the Nation” killed on that day, but most of his family and some of his other acquaintances were also murdered. 18 members of Bangabandhu's family and his close ones who were brutally killed on that night include his wife Bangamata Fazilatunnessa Mujib, brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, nephew Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni& his pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and Bangabandhu's military secretary Bir Uttam Colonel Jamil who rushed to the spot of occurrence on receiving SOS from Bangabandhu Bhaban early in the morning.

His both daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, escaped only because they were in West Germany at the time.

Since the mayhem, Awami League, its associate bodies and other likeminded pro-liberation parties, social, cultural and professionals' organizations have been observing the day as the National Mourning Day.

Five years after the fall of the military government, in 1996, the anniversary of the death of the nation’s beloved Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was finally made a public holiday.

Also in 1996, the Bangladeshi government, headed up by the political party known as the Awami League, had still-living, self-confessed killers of the late Sheikh Rahman tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. They were finally executed on January 27th, 2010. The government even sought to bring to justice those of his killers who had fled abroad.

If in Bangladesh on National Mourning Day, you will notice that the flag is flown at half-mast at government, educational, organisational, and other buildings throughout the land. The Awami League also raises a black flag at all of their party offices on the morning of August 15th, the time when the brutal killing was discovered. The Awami League and others will also hold special prayer sessions at mosques, pagodas, and churches. The whole day is one of great solemnity, and Bangladesh’s first leader is given great respect and honour.

What happend at that night?

According to the personal secretary (resident PA) Mr AFM Mohitul Islam’s statement:

On 1975 he was working at the house number 677 of Dhanmondi 32, residence of the president at that time Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was on duty there, from 8pm of 14th August, 1975 to 8am of 15th August. After night passed 12am of 14th August he has gone to bed at 1am of 15th August in his destined bed.

At the statement of the case, Mr Mohitul said, ‘After that, I cant remember when I gone to sleep. Suddenly, the telephone mechanic waked me up and said, the president wants to see you. The time was about 4:30am or 5am. The sky looked brighter around. Bangabandhu told me over phone, miscreants attacked at Serniabat’s residence. I immediately called the police control room. After several tries I couldn’t connect to the police control room. Then I tried to get a line to Gonobhaban exchange. Afterwards Bangabandhu came from upstairs and asked me why no one is picking up the phone at police control room. At that time I was shouting on the phone saying “hello”. Bangabandhu took the receiver from me and said, “This is president speaking”. At that very moment a bunch of bullets came through the windows and struck at the walls of that room. On another phone the chief security officer Mohiuddin was trying to talk. From the broken glasses from the shots of bullets my right hand got injured and was bleeding. Then it was non-stop shots from the windows and Bangabandhu lied upon the floor. I also jumped down to the floor.

After a while when the firing stopped, Bangabandhu stood up. I also stood up. The servant boy Selim also known as Abdul came from upstairs with Punjabi and spectacles for Bangabandhu. Bangabandhu came to the veranda wearing those Punjabi and spectacles. He (Bangabandhu) said, “So many fires going on, what are you doing army sentries and police sentries?” At that time Sheikh Kamal said, “Army and police brothers come with me”. A bunch of people wearing black dress stood before Sheikh Kamal. I (Mohitul) and DSP Nurul Islam Khan were just behind of Sheikh Kamal. Nurul Islam grabbed me from behind and took me to his office room. I tried to peek through to look outside of that room. I heard some shots of bullets just some moments later. At that time Sheikh Kamal lied before my legs having shot. Kamal bhai shouted, “I am son of Sheikh Mujib, Sheikh Kamal, bhai tell them”.

Mohitul Islam told him his statement, “There were black dressed and khakee dressed among the attackers. At that time we heard shots and saw DSP Nurul Islam Khan was shot at his leg. Then I realized the attackers are from the army. And they came for murders. When Nurul Islam was trying to take us out of the room, Major Bazlul Huda picked me by grabbing my hairs. Bazlul Huda took us to downstairs and made us stand in lines. Moments after I heard Bangabandhu’s voice loudly. Huge sounds of firing was heard. We heard wailing and afflicted cries of women. In the meantime, Sheikh Russell and the housemaid Ruma was brought downstairs. Russell hold me tight and asked, ‘Will they kill me too?’ I said, no they will to do anything to you. I thought they wont harm a boy so young. But after a few minutes Russell was told that he would be taken to his mother and they took him to a room and killed him brutally. Then Major Bazlul Huda told to the Major Faruque who was standing at the gate of the residence of Bangabandhu that, ‘All are finished’.

Retired Colonel Faruqe Rahman at his confessional testimony said, he co-ordinated the mission at Bangabandhu’s residence on 15th August of 1975 by the command of Khondakar Mushtaque. He was in charge of the whole mission. Retired Colonel Rashid was in charge of Bangabhaban while Retired Major Dalim was in charge of Radio center. Distribution of the duties in important places was all done by him (Faruque).

Bangabandhu might have been killed physically but his soul is immortal. He lives eternally.

Because, he is the visionary and the architect of a Nation-state.

As long as this country exists, he will exist immortally. He influenced the whole Bangali nation with the spirit of nationalism to be brave enough to start an armed revolution against the colonial ruler and oppressor the Pak Military force.

So is he immortal to the spirit of this nation. Bangabandhu is not just a person, the name of a great idea. The idea which reinvigorated the whole nation.

The bangali nationalism, democracy, socialism and secularism the philosophies with which the constitution of the country was created by the architect of independence and greatest ever bangali in thousands of years, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. In the realm of oppressors and the oppressed, Bangabandhu was beside the absorbed.

In accordance to the continued 24 year long struggles and movements against the oppressing Pakistani rulers, the call for independence he did on his great speech in the historic 7th March, 1971 address at Sohrawardi Udyan is an unforgettable one. The call from his lightning voice, “This struggle, is our struggle for freedom. This struggle is the struggle for independence”, this immortal invocation mesmerized the whole oppressed nation of millions and made them start fighting for independence.

Spell bound by that priceless call the nation of Bengal became the warriors without fear.

After the most tyrannical genocide happened in the darknight 25th of March, 1971 nation again heard his declaration of independence at the first hours of 26th. At that night the Pakistani forces arrested Bangabandhu from his residence at Dhanmondi. Following that he was imprisoned the whole nine months of Battle for independence in the prisons of Pakistan. But the battle ran under his call. While imprisoned he was under threats of execution but never gave up for the question of independence, as he is the dreadnought greatest leader. After the war of freedom ended, Pakistan had no ther option but to release him back to Bangaldesh. Bangabandhu came back on 10th January, 1972 with heroic welcome to his envisioned independent Bangladesh.

After coming back to a war-torned country, while working on to re-establish the country from ruins of war he also engaged people of the country with development. In his battle towards rebuilding the nation, he had firm belief that people of the nation will never forget his dedication and contribution to the country. Never could think them as ingrates. As the president of the newly formed Bangladesh, he kept living in his non-glamorous residence at Dhanmondi 32, instead of any state provided residence.

The conspiracies of the defeated evil forces never stopped. To avenge the defeat they consistently kept laying traps with conspiracies. Those conspirators used those aspiring mistracked army members on that 15th August killing to put such a conspiracy into reality. And they attacked the house at Dhanmondi 32 also known as the breeding place for indepence. They assassinated the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu and all of his family living there. With that heinousmost brutal killing ever in history of world and human civilization, they not only killed Bangabandhu but tried to kill the ideals the thousand years awaited and achieved ideals of indepences along with him. Had ill attempts of erasing the heroic ballads of valor. Though this atrocious killing of Bangabandhu was a sad incident for whole Bangali nation, but instead of trying those criminals of that assassination, disgraceful moves have been taken place to shield them for a long time. Even the murderers were awarded in many ways. To prevent murder trial, infamous ‘Indemnity ordnance’ had been enacted by murderer of Bangabandhu the Khondokar Mushtaq government.

On 8th June of 1976, from the alleged murderer group of that 15th August, 12 of them were given jobs at several high commissions around the world.

Lt. Col Shariful Haque (Dalim) first secretary to China,

Lt. Col Aziz Pasha first secretary to Argentina,

Lt. Col AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed first secretary to Algeria,

Major Bazlul Huda 2nd secretary to Pakistan,

Major Shahriar Rashid 2nd secretary to Indonesia,

Major Rashed Chowdhury 2nd secretary to Saudi Arabia,

Major Nur Chowdhury 2nd secretary to Iran,

Major Shariful Hossain 2nd secretary to Kuwait,

Col Kismat Hashem 3rd secretary to Abu Dhabi,

Lt Khairuzzaman 3rd secretary to Egypt,

Lt. Nazmul Hossain 3rd secretary to Canada,

Lt. Abdul Majed 3rd secretary to Senegal

After long 21 years in 1996 , when Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina led govt came to power, this ‘Indemnity Ordnance’ was dismissed and trials for killing Bangabandhu was made possible, after so many struggles the trial was accomplished. In the last regime of the BNP allied government, attempts were made to keep away from executing the sentences, but after the current government got re-elected on 2009, the judgement was accomplished and 5 of the accused who were given capital punishment, were executed on 27th January of 2010. Still some of the convicted murderers are fleeing in various countries.

Bangabandhu might have been killed physically but his soul is immortal. He lives eternally.

Because, he is the visionary and the architect of a Nation-state.

As long as this country exists, he will exist immortally. He influenced the whole Bangali nation with the spirit of nationalism to be brave enough to start an armed revolution against the colonial ruler and oppressor the Pak Military force.

So is he immortal to the spirit of this nation. Bangabandhu is not just a person, the name of a great idea.

The idea which reinvigorated the whole nation.

জয় বাংলা জয় বঙ্গবন্ধু। ❤️