Top News Desk: Today, on August 15 (Tuesday), the nation commemorates the National Day of Mourning. This day marks the 48th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation. People from all walks of life, regardless of caste or religion, will honour this day profoundly.
Tragedy struck on August 15, 1975, as misguided military members took the lives of Bangabandhu and his family members at his residence in Dhanmondi. The assassins went beyond just assassinating Bangabandhu, as his wife Bangmata Begum Fazilatun Nescha Mujib, his children Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, and young Sheikh Russell, along with daughter-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosi Jamal, tragically lost their lives in succession.
The ruthless act also claimed the lives of many other close family members and relatives, including Bangabandhu’s cousin Sheikh Nasser, who had stayed away from politics, his nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani, Mani’s pregnant wife Arju Mani, sister-in-law Abdur Rob Serniabat, and their children. The appalling murders took the lives of Arif and Sukanta Babu, their daughter Baby, Abdul Naeem Khan Rintu, and Colonel Jamil, resulting in the loss of 16 family members and close kin.
Fortunately, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, Bangabandhu’s two daughters, survived the tragedy as they were abroad during that time.
The fateful day of August 15, 1975, marked a significant turning point in Bangladesh’s history. The nation witnessed the overthrow of civilian governance by a period of military rule marked by lawlessness.
Following the assassination, on September 26, 1975, of the self-proclaimed President Khandkar Mushtaq Ahmed, the Indemnity Ordinance was enacted to shield the perpetrators from legal action. In 1979, Ziaur Rahman ratified the Indemnity Ordinance as a law.
After a lengthy span of twenty-one years, when the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, ascended to power, the wheels of justice started turning. On August 14, 1996, the three primary defendants in the Bangabandhu murder case were apprehended. Colonel Syed Farooq Rahman, former State Minister Taher Uddin Thakur, and Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan faced arrest. In order to ensure justice for the victims, the Indemnity Act was abolished in Parliament on November 14, 1996. However, due to various challenges, including the obstruction of those against the independence movement, legal proceedings were postponed multiple times until June 19, 1997.
Finally, on January 28, 2010, after protracted legal proceedings, the death sentences of five convicts were carried out, bringing a sense of closure to the nation. Another perpetrator, Abdul Majed, who had fled to India, was executed on April 12, 2020.
Nonetheless, five individuals convicted and sentenced to death are still evading capture. These fugitives, who have admitted to their involvement, include AM Rashed Chowdhury, Shariful Haque Dalim, Muslim Uddin Khan, Noor Chowdhury, and Khandaker Abdur Rashid.
Report by : Habiba Sultana
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