15th August, Should we mourn or rejoice ?

By Ajoy Roy

 

 

Today is 15th August. A memorable day for various reasons. Should we mourn or rejoice ? Here are my feelings I want to share with you. Kindly see the article below.

Ajoy Roy

Dhaka 15. 08. 03

Fifteenth August:  We mourn.

India celebrates Independence day;

BNP in Bangladesh rejoices to observe its Chairperson's 58th birthday

 

Today is 15th August, most gruesome day in the history of brutality and killing our country is confronted with. The nation mourns the death of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of modern state of Bangladesh, even one might have reservation to call him father of the modern Bengali nation. Am I correct when I said the 'nation mourns the day', perhaps not. Surely those who are firm believers of Bangladeshi nationalism as a political philosophy and doctrine that is the jatiyatbadis of all fold including BNP followers and Islamic fundamentalists will not mourn or observe the day. Those who think creation of Bangladesh is a logical consequence of 1947-partition of India into Pakistan with predominantly Muslim majority two zones thousands mile away from each other, separated by a alien Hindu dominated country, secular Bharat i.e. who still consider that Bangladesh is a mini Pakistan or Muslim Bangla, as Zulfiqar Ali preferred to call it immediately after Pakistani soldiers surrendered to the chief of the Bangladesh-India joint command, Lt. General Jagjit Singh Arora, who happened to be also the chief of the Eastern command of Indian Army, popularly came to be referred as Mitra Bahini will not mourn the death of Sheikh.

Government is a symbol of nation's aspiration. It should uphold some basic concepts above petty party politics. BNP-Jamat government under the leadership Khaleda Begum may not recognize Sheikh as founding father of 'Bangladeshi nationalism', nor as an architect of modern state of 'People's Republic of Bangladesh, but surely they should recognize Sheik's contribution of autonomy movement launched by Sheikh centering AL's six point charter of demands, his sufferings including Agartala conspiracy case at the hands of tyrannical Pakistani military junta and autocratic Ayub Khan government, 69-mass movement for democracy and autonomy for East Pakistan, historical election triumph of 1970, and finally unparalleled non-cooperation movement of '71 and his historic call for total independence on 7th march.

Even if we admit for the sake of debate, that Sheikh very meekly surrendered to Pakistani Bahini on the dreadful night of 25th March without declaring independence of East Pakistan. But shouldn't BNP leadership feel obliged that Sheikh's movement for 'autonomy and independence' paved the objective condition of 25th March for cracking down of crazy Pakistani army on innocent sleeping people of Dhaka and East Pakistan at large and made the field open for Khaleda Begum's husband an unknown major of East Bengal regiment, Ziaur Rahman who was then as a loyal Pakistani army officer on his way to Chittagong port to help Pakistani military authority unloading arms and ammunitions from the Ship Babar to declare independence of Bangladesh on his own (sic). Jamatis claimed that had Sheikh Mujib not provoked Pakistani Military Junta and its chief Gen. Yahya Khan by his secession movement the tragedy of 25th March would not have taken place and Pakistan would have saved. For this very act of Bnagabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the BNP leaders and its chairperson should be grateful to him as this act gave a rare opportunity to Major Zia to 'proclaim' independence of Bangladesh on behalf 'our great leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman'. But ungrateful BNP leadership totally forgot any least contribution Sheikh made for this wretched nation and its people for its independence and their emancipation. Khaleda Begum's government observed birthdays or death anniversaries of many cultural and literary persons like Jasimuddin, Farukh Ahmed, Golum Mostafa .... and politicians like Sher e Bangla, Moulana Bhasani, Shahid Surwardy, Mashiur Rahman (Jadu Mian), Shahid Ziaur Rahman etc..... We may ask BNP leaders are the contribution of Sheikh for the down trodden people of the then East Pakistan any way less if not greater in comparison of those leaders. Is it not fact that you are evaluating Bangabandhu as an opponent of your Party and its founder Ziaur Rahman- not in true historical perspective' Why do you forget Bangabandhu or AK Fazlul Haque or even Muslim league leader Khwaza Sir Nazimuddin can be a competitor of Ziaur Rahman or your present party chairperson the great lady Begum Khaleda as all of them died before Zia became the president of Bangladesh Pakistan and his party came into existence? But BNP leadership is carrying on a relentless shadow war against a dead person whom you so meanly call Marhum (late) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as against Swadinatar Ghosok Shahid Ziaur Rahman (like a cracked record). Portraits of Sheikh, wherever found are being toppled down, burnt and destroyed with vengeance, malice and hatred. Why so meanness is shown to a great national leader whom the BNP leaders and their young workers may not respect but surely they can show some tolerance. If the government cannot observe his death anniversary, surely it can just remember his contribution on this historic day. But instead, Jamatis and BNP nationalists are celebrating, though not officially, the day as najat divas (day of end of tyrannical regime).

I have a portrait of Bangabandhu in my living room with his right hand fore finger pointing up, delivering his famous 7th March deliberations to millions of people assembled in Race Course maidan, now known as Surwardy Udyan. I still feel that I am still in front of the great orator listening every word of his speech as one amongst millions. It is not a political speech, it emanated from his inner core, form his inner feelings for his people whom he loved, endeared and respected'the entire mass was simply hypnotized and carried with him. It was simply a poem only Sheikh can compose, deliver and overwhelm his listeners. I have heard speeches of many great personalities like Nehru, Moulana Azad, Subash Bose (in my boyhood), fiery Moulana Bhasani, sentimental Sher e Bangla, humorist Shahid Surwardy, scientists like' Meghnad Saha, Satyen Bose, Raman, Krishnan .... but Sheikh in Race Course Maidan in front of millions, charged with expectations, was superb and unparalleled with his poetic speech composed with his own chosen words and sentences charged with emotion and reasons. His final call 'Ebarer Sangram- amader muktir Sangram, Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar Sangar.' still reverberates in my ear as a tall body chocked with tears and emotion standing in front of mine. How could I forget the day? From that moment the autonomy movement based on six-points and 11-points became redundant, as the movement concentrated into one point and direction Swadhinatar Sangram (war for independence), our slogan became 'Padma Jamuna Meghna, Tomar Amar Thikana' ( Oh river Padma, Jamuna, Meghna! thou are my abodes), Veer Bangali Astra dhara, Bangladesh Swadhin kara (Brave Bengalis, Take up arms, Make Bangladesh Independent).

How could I forget his memorable speech at Lahore when he declared his '6-point programme' in 1966 calling this programme as Banchar dabi: 6-dafa Karmasuchi (Demands for our survival: 6-points Programme). How could I forget his historic rejection of Yahya's fresh invitation to participate in national conference of political leaders on 10th March, 1971. Sheikh flatly said, 'When the Bengalis are embracing martyrdom from army bullets, the invitation is nothing but a cruel joke and I have been invited at the point of bayonet. .... ' Before launching his historic non cooperation movement, people has not witnessed such movement since the 'quit India movement' of 1942 led by Mahatma Gandhi, he called upon his people, '.... from today, courts, government offices, ... educational institutions.... all establishments will remain closed sine die.. . The Supreme Court, government or semi government secretariats,.... none will operate.... '. From this day Tajuddinn Ahmed became if so facto chief executive of 'free Bangladesh'. How could I forget this memorable action of Bangabandhu in freeing the Bengali nation? One has to witness those events to understand and appreciate. I am one of those fortunate individuals who went through these colourful days of our making history.

How could I forget his another memorable speech during sixties when he said hinting to continuous conspiracy against Bengali speaking people of eastern zone of Pakistan, ' From this moment on wards attempts have been made repeatedly to the word Bangla from the soil of the country and from the page of map. But let me announce on behalf of people of Bangla that from today the eastern zone of Pakistan province shall be known as Bangladesh and not East Pakistan.' In earlier days when a 1956 constitution was adopted in Pakistan Parliament renaming eastern province 'East Bengal' (Purba Bangla) to East Pakistan, Sheikh registered his vehement protest saying, 'Sir, you will see that they want to place the words 'East Pakistan instead of East Bengal'. We have demanded so many times that you should name it Bengal (Pakistan). The word 'Bengal' has a history, has a tradition of its own.' How I could I forget his utterances?

How could I forget his final speech before his arrest by Pakistani army, declaring independence of East Pakistan as 'Independent Bangladesh' immediately after the midnight of 25th March (26th March morning): ' This may be last message, from today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh wherever you might be and with whatever you have, to resist the army of army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistani occupation army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved.' Mr. Hannan, general secretary of Chittagong Awami League read out the message through Kalurghat Radio station on 26th March morning. Later on the same day Major Ziaur Rahman who had then camped near the Kalurghat bridge not far from the radio station at the request of the self employed workers of 'Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra' reiterated the proclamation of Sheikh Mujib, saying 'The Government under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is sovereign legal Government of Bangladesh and is entitled to recognition from all democratic nations of the world.' This declaration of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman later on was authenticated in 'Proclamation of Independence' adopted by elected representatives assembled at Mujib Nagar on 10th April, 1971, a historic and legal document of our war of liberation wherein it says,

'Whereas in the facts and circumstances of such treacherous conduct Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the undisputed leader of the 75 million people of Bangladesh, in due fulfilment of the legitimate right of self determination of the people of Bangladesh, duly made a declaration of independence at Dacca on March 26, 1971, and urged the people of Bangladesh to defend the honour and integrity of Bangladesh'.

....... 'We the elected representatives of the people of Bangladesh, as honour bound by the mandate given to us by the people of Bangladesh whose will is supreme duly constituted ourselves into a Constituent Assembly, and ....... in order to ensure for the people of Bangladesh equality, human dignity and social justice, declare and constitute Bangladesh to be sovereign Peoples' Republic and thereby confirm the declaration of independence made by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, ....'

After this historic proclamation all controversies of declaration of independence should have been brought to an end. But alas the interested circle continued to make fuss with the issue. Thanks to late president Ziaur Rahman that during his lifetime he never raised this issue of proclamation of independence or tried to belittle Bangabandhu or his great contribution. Zia maintained whatever he did, he did in the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, undoubtedly the undisputed leader of 75 million Bengali speaking people.

I clearly remember after Zia assumed power as (deputy) martial law administer, on the occasion of our Independence day in a TV programme he allowed a respectful reference to contribution of Sheikh's 6-point movement and wining a significant election with overwhelming majority. It was further heard that on that occasion Zia wrote his second article on Bangladesh liberation mentioning Bangabandhu as architect of new Bangladesh to settle the issue once for all. As is heard off it was sent for publication to all dailies, but at the last moment it was withheld at the advice of some fundamentalist and ultra-left advisers of his. If the story is true, it is a pity for the nation. We would have relieved from unnecessary controversies that followed when BNP government came to power in 1992 and then again in 2001.

Should I remind my dear readers, what was President Yahya's reaction as he addressed his Pakistani nation on 26th March evening after he let loose his soldiers to crackdown on 25th March night. His rough voice is still ringing in my ear, ' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's action of starting his non cooperation movement is an act of treason. He and his party have defied the lawful authorities.... insulted Pakistani flag. They have tried to run a parallel government. The proclamation that he proposed was nothing but a trap. ..... the man and his party are enemies of Pakistan, and they want East Pakistan to breakaway completely from the Country. He has attacked the solidarity of this country'this crime will not go unpunished. ... As for Awami League it is completely banned as a political party.'

Yahya knew who were his enemies- no other person except Bangabandhu was singled out as traitor and charged with so called act of treason. Even then BNP goes on belittling his contribution in the salvation of Bengali people and insulting the national leader in the meanest possible manner.

Yahya could not execute the punishment he pronounced on Bangabandhu because of international pressure, but his faithful servants in Pakistan army of Bengali origin, some in 'disguise of freedom fighters' carried out the will of general Yahya on 15th August, 1975. Bravo! Bangladesh army officially has never under took the responsibility of removing of Government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman nor his brutal killing by a section of army jowans and officers. But neither it had conducted any inquiry to reveal the real truth nor punished any breakaway army personals involved in the tragedy who killed not only a president of the country but the architect of Bangladesh and all ideals-- our war of liberation stood for. The killing of Bangabandhu revealed the weakness of top army leadership and army bureaucracy as well as infrastructure of the army.

India celebrates its 57th Independence day

While we are mourning, India is celebrating its 57th day of Independence. On this day 56 years back, the British union jack was slowly brought down signifying the end of British rule in India and in its place tri colour Indian National flag with Ashok-Chakra in the middle, symbol of peace, was unfurled. From the Lal Killa, Indian PM Atal Behari Vajpayee in his address to the nation appealed to the Indians as well as Pakistanis that for the sake of peace, progress and tranquility in the region India and Pakistan should forget about fighting against each other, rather both countries wage war against the poverty. PM called upon the Pakistani leadership to give up 'hate India' campaign and stop giving support and encouragement to the militants.

We all wish prosperity of the people of India on this happy occasion.

BNP observes its Chairperson's 58th birthday

While we sadly remember the gruesome killing of the Bangabandhu, architect of modern Bangladesh, 58th birth day of Bangladesh Prime Minister Mrs. Khaleda Begum is being celebrated by her admirers, her ministerial and political colleagues, high officials with pomp and grandeur. Her family members signaled the day of observance when at 12-15 a.m. on Friday she was wished long and prosperous life by cutting a cake, lighting candles and chanting 'happy birth day to youuuuuu ...... .' At 8 p.m. demy official function took place at 30, Hare Road, the Jamuna Guest House, official evening secretariat of PM. Top political leaders and senior ministers, students leaders and host of her admirers assembled at Jamuna Guest house and wished the PM happy birth day. The heaviest cake that was presented to her weighs 132 lb. Apart from hundreds of small and mid-sized cakes as many as five 58 kg cakes were also cut on the occasion. PM as reported thanked all of them and sought their cooperation in running the country.

At the Madhur Canteen, the BNP's students front Chhatradal also observed the day with great fun and pomp. At 11 a.m. a cake weighing 20 lb was cut to mark the celebration followed by a milad mahfil in the afternoon.

We also wish happiness to Begum Khaleda in her personal life.

Epilogue

There is no harm in celebrating birthday of Khaleda Begum by her admirers and BNP. But what embarrasses us as to her choice of 15th August to celebrate her birthday. This she did only when Awami League came to power and officially started observing 15th August as national mourning day. On earlier days Begum Zia's birthday was observed on a different day. Obviously to observe 15th August as her birthday all on a sudden bewildered many and surely there was obvious mean motive behind it. People say that she has three or four date(s) of birth. When she became PM of Bangladesh her bio-data as supplied to the Government record books had a different date, it is alleged. It is rumored, her school certificate shows yet another date, and in her last passport she gave another date of birth. As far as I remember a case was filed against her by a civilian for giving misinformation if her date of birth is really 15th August. Learned and aged journalist ABM Musa, as far as I remember wrote a very interesting and humorist article in Janakantha (?) on the matter saying everyone has the right to choose his or her birthday as he or she really does not when he or she came to earth. Only parents can throw some light, but alas Khaleda Begum is an orphan in that sense! But let us hope this time she sticks to the latest one.
 

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