Nation Set to Pay Homage

The nation is set to observe the National Mourning Day and 47th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today with due respect and solemnity.  

Bangabandhu and most of his family members were brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the fateful night of 15 August, 1975 and this carnage is touted as the ugliest chapter of the nation’s history.

Father of the Nation’s two daughters Sheikh Hasina, now the prime minister, and Sheikh Rehana escaped the planned assassination as they were staying abroad.

The government has chalked out elaborate programmes in observance of the day at national level.

The national flag will be hoisted half-mast in all government, semi-government, autonomous institutions, educational institutions and private buildings including Bangladesh missions abroad, said a handout earlier.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay homage to Bangabandhu, the architect of the independent Bangladesh, by placing wreaths at his portrait at 6.30 am in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No-32 in the capital.

A guard of honour will be given by the armed forces and prayers will be offered there.

The PM will also place wreaths at the graves of the family members of Bangabandhu and other martyrs who were brutally killed on that August night, at Banani Graveyard in the capital.

She will also offer Fateha and munajat seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs.

Special doa and munajat are scheduled to be offered at mosques across the country including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zuhr prayers. Special prayers will also be offered at temples, churches and pagodas across the country.

Different national dailies and periodicals will publish special supplement today highlighting the importance of the day.

The Department of Films and Publications (DFP) has published and distributed posters across the country. Posters in English have been dispatched to Bangladesh diplomatic missions abroad.

The Department of Mass Communication will screen documentary films on the life and works of Bangabandhu across the country. The Press Information Department (PID) is organising a weeklong photo exhibition, to be inaugurated today, at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Besides, regional information offices under PID are also arranging photo exhibitions at divisional level.

Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television will broadcast special programmes marking the day.

All educational institutions including public and private schools, madrasas, colleges and universities will organise an array of programmes including discussions, poem recitation, essay writing and painting competition, art exhibition, hamd-naat competition and doa mahfil.

In line with the national programmes, discussion, doa mahfil and other programmes will also be held at the district and upazila levels, to be attended by government officials and local dignitaries.

All city corporations, municipalities and union parishads of the country will also arrange various programmes marking the day.

The programme of Dhanmondi and Banani in the capital and Tungipara in Gopalganj will be broadcast live on Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television.

Other private television channels, FM and community radio stations will also broadcast the programme live in association with Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television.