Bangabandhu
Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day today
Today (January 10) marks the historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all time. The day is being observed across the country in a fitting manner.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the eve of the day, paying tributes to the Father of the Nation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage to the Father of the Nation by placing wreaths at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhaka‘s Dhanmondi-32.
After laying the wreaths, the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of independent Bangladesh.
Read: Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu: PM pays tribute at Dhanmondi-32
Awami League (AL) has planned various programmes to observe the historic day.
AL’s programmes began with the hoisting of the national and party flags at the party’s central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban and its party offices across the country at 6:30am.
AL leaders and workers paid homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city’s Dhanmondi area at 7:30am.
At 11 am, an AL delegation will pay respect to the undisputed leader of the nation by placing wreaths at his grave in Tungipara.
Read: Bangabandhu’s ‘Homecoming Day’ to be observed Tuesday
The AL delegation will include its presidium members Lt Col Muhammad Faruk Khan, central committee members Awowar Hossain, Shabuddin Farazi Iqbal Hossain Apu, Marufa Alter Popy, and Gloria Sarkar Jharna.
On the occasion, a discussion will be held on a limited scale at the party's central office in Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Avenue at 3:30 pm, maintaining the health safety guidelines while Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina will preside over the event.
Besides, all district, city, upazila, thana, union and ward level units of the AL, its associate bodies are organising similar programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner.
In a statement, AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged all party leaders, workers and its associates to observe all the programmes, marking Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day in a fitting manner.
Read More: Anne de Henning’s rare photos of Bangladesh’s birth, Bangabandhu to have Dhaka exhibit Dec 15-24
Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the nation and supreme commander of the country's Liberation War, returned to the newly independent Bangladesh after over nine and half months of captivity in a Pakistan jail on January 10 in 1972.
Anne de Henning’s rare photos of Bangladesh’s birth, Bangabandhu to have Dhaka exhibit Dec 15-24
To showcase rare and never before seen images by veteran French photographer Anne de Henning — shot during her visits to Bangladesh in 1971 to 1972 — Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information (CRI) have arranged an exhibition in Dhaka.
The exhibition titled ‘Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning’ will celebrate the photographer’s visit to Bangladesh after 50 years.
The exhibition at Dhaka’s Liberation War Museum will be held from December 15 to December 24. Anne de Henning will be present at the opening ceremony and give a special tour through her exhibition. She will also revisit some of the places she had been in during her 1971 and 1972 visits.
Between 1971 and 1972, the photojournalist captured the birth of the nation and her remarkable private archive of unseen photographs is a unique record of the pivotal years which saw East Pakistan transformed into Bangladesh.
The earliest set of photographs from 1971 cover Anne’s first visit to the country at the age of 25.
During the early days of conflict in April, the Pakistani authorities were obstructing foreign journalists to keep them from reporting on the atrocities on the civilian population after Operation Searchlight on March 26, 1971.
This encouraged Anne to secretly travel to East Pakistan along with her colleagues.
Also read: 55 Bangladeshi self-taught artists to join Victory Day art exhibition in Dubai
Recalling her first encounter with the Mukti Bahini, she said, “I saw a handful of young Mukti Bahinis stepping out of their makeshift observation post flanked by a tall bamboo pole flying the green, red and yellow Bangladesh flag. They greeted me by saying with broad smiles: ‘You are now in free Bangladesh!’”
Traveling through the country during the Liberation War, her photographs captured life in the war zone – from freedom fighters to men, women and children boarding refugee trains and fleeing from their villages.
On her second visit to the country, Anne’s photographs from 1972 feature Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who, all his life, worked to decolonise the nation from British and Pakistani rule and move towards democracy and freedom.
“There's a leader from the subcontinent who led his country to independence based on very progressive ideals of a secular, equal country for all,” said Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and trustee of CRI, expressing his views about the photographs.
“The whole of Bangladesh got behind him, they fought a war against all odds, and Bangladesh emerged independent,” he said.
Anne captured Bangabandhu giving a speech at the first Council Meeting of Awami League after the independence of Bangladesh. “I came specifically from Calcutta to photograph the event,” she said. Although at the time Anne favoured shooting in black and white, she chose to capture this event in colour because of the vibrant blue, white and red stripes of the shamiyana — ceremonial tent — that housed the event.
Images of Bangabandhu were systematically destroyed after the coup of 1975 and Anne’s surviving colour photographs are among the few known to still exist.
‘Intense, fragile, powerful’: Forbes effusively lauds Paris exhibit on Bangladesh’s birth, Bangabandhu
“So intense, so fragile, and so powerful”. This is how a Forbes feature describes the Paris exhibit showcasing Anne de Henning’s photos capturing the tumultuous days of Bangladesh’s independence struggle and its founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In reference to the ongoing exhibition that brings to life never seen before photos from the battlefield and of the architect behind the country’s birth Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Alexandra Fein, Executive Director of Asia Now, Paris Asian Art Fair was all praises and delivered the above-mentioned quote.
Forbes, an influential and acclaimed global magazine, published the in depth feature on the photo exhibition “Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning” that would remain on display until January 23, 2023 at Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris. The museum holds the largest collection of Asian art outside of Asia.
Pointing to the systematic manipulation of history following the gruesome assassination of Mujib along with most of his family members, the Forbes article found incredibly rare images of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a key highlight of the show.
“Most images of Mujib were destroyed during the coup of 1975,” the article reads.
“Especially uncommon” is how the article describes those images of the young country’s founder.
“These images were taken by de Henning upon her return to Bangladesh in 1972 when she went to witness Rahman’s address to the nation after the United States officially recognized Bangladesh as sovereign,” reads the write up.
Importantly, with focus on every aspect of the exhibition, the feature attributed the initiative as a marker of the country’s culture.
Reminding Bangladesh’s heroic battle against Pakistani Army in 1971 and the finest hours of the founding father Mujib in an independent nation, the article reads: “Tragic events certainly deserve all the attention they can get but a country cannot be defined without taking into account its cultural scene”.
Interacting with Forbes, de Henning commented, “I think it is important that in looking at the images the viewers feel the extent of the courage and determination with which the Bengali people were ready to fight to achieve independence for their country”.
The exhibition was earlier held in Dhaka and has been produced by Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information(CRI).
Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Bangabandhu and a trustee of CRI, alongside others made a visit to the museum. A graduate from London School and Economics, Radwan is the publisher and architect behind ‘Mujib’, an autobiographical graphic novel on the Father of the Nation for young readers. He also played a key role in the making of “Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale”, a docudrama on his aunt Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and mother Sheikh Rehana.
Read more: Radwan Mujib visits Paris photo exhibit on Bangladesh’s birth, Bangabandhu
Importantly, the French photographer captured Bangabandhu giving a speech at the first Council Meeting of Awami League after the independence of Bangladesh. “I came specifically from Calcutta to photograph the event,” de Henning said. Although at the time she favoured shooting in black and white, de Henning chose to capture this event in colour because of the vibrant blue, white and red stripes of the shamiyana — ceremonial tent — that housed the event.
Rajeeb Samdani, who is a Co-Founder and Trustee of the Samdani Art Foundation, told Forbes, “We have failed to tell the story of our genocide. We have failed to tell the story of our long history of art and literature. We have failed to tell our history which involves a lot of sacrifice and trauma. Through all of this struggle we have become one of the top three largest garment exporters in the world and the second fastest growing economy in the world. So, our story today is one of growth, culture, and perseverance and this is the story we want to tell.”
Read more: Dhaka edition of World Press Photo Exhibition 2022 opens at Drik Gallery
Indian envoy Verma pays tribute to Bangabandhu
Newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Thursday said he is looking forward to working closely with the Bangladesh government to realise the full potential of Bangladesh-India ties.
The envoy said he would try to work towards further expanding and strengthening the close and friendly ties between the countries.
He made the remarks as he presented his credentials to President Abdul Hamid.
After that, Verma visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 32 Dhanmondi, Dhaka to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
During his meeting with the president, the Indian high commissioner conveyed the greetings of the government and the people of India to the head of state of Bangladesh.
Read: Indian High Commissioner pays tribute to Liberation War martyrs
Brunei Sultan pays homage to Bangabandhu
Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah on Sunday paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
He visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhaka’s Dhanmondi 32 and paid homage by placing a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu.
Sheikh Rehana, younger daughter of Bangabandhu, received him at the Museum upon the Sultan's arrival there around 3pm.
The Sultan visited different corners of the Museum and signed the visitors’ book.
On Saturday afternoon, the Brunei Sultan went to the National Martyrs' Memorial, Savar from the airport.
There, he was received by the Liberation War Affairs Minister, State Minister Housing and Public Works and State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief.
The Sultan placed a wreath paying homage to the Liberation War martyrs, signed visitors’ book; and planted a sapling there.
He held meetings with President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen is scheduled to see off Brunei Sultan at the airport on Monday.
PM, her sister and family members pay homage to Bangabandhu in Tungipara
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday offered prayers at the mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara.
She was accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana while offering Fateha and munajat (prayer) seeking eternal peace of departed souls of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of 15 August, 1975 massacre.
Read: PM on way to her village home in Tungipara
Prayers were also offered seeking divine blessings for good health and long life of Sheikh Hasina and her family members as well as continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country.
PM’s Assistant Press Secretary MM Emrul Kayas, who is accompanying the prime minister, confirmed this.
Earlier, the prime minister paid tributes to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his mausoleum.
After laying the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the architect of the independence, who was brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the dreadful night of 15 August, 1975 along with most of his family members.
Family members of the prime minister were also present to pay homage.
The PM reached Tungipara in Gopalganj at 10:10 in the morning by road after crossing the Padma Multipurpose Bridge.
Earlier, Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana started for Tungipara from her official residence Ganabhaban at about 7:15am.
Read: PM to political parties: Let’s all take part in next parliamentary polls
Before crossing the Padma Bridge they both paid tolls.
The prime minister opened the country's longest ever self-financed Padma multi-purpose bridge amid nationwide jubilation on June 25.
Tungipara is their village home in Gopalganj district where their father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's founding leader, was buried after his assassination on August 15 in 1975.
I’m impressed with the work: Hasina on soon-to-released Bangabandhu biopic
Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has said that she is happy with the progress in the production of “Mujib: The Making of a Nation”, a biopic based on the life and work of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“I’m impressed with whatever has been done so far,” she said on Wednesday in reply to a question on the biopic during a press conference on her recent India visit at her official residence Ganobhavan.
She said the trailer of the film had been launched at the 75th Cannes Festival in France in May this year. “The screening at the prestigious Cannes Festival speaks of the quality of the work so far. Had it not been a work of quality they would not have shown it,” she observed.
Read: BFDC reveals primary cast for biopic on Bangabandhu
She added: “We have to keep in mind that portrayal of a great leader Bangabandhu is no easy task for any actor. How can you portray bring to live the historic 7th March speech of Bangabandhu and the high emotion associated with it?”
Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, said she remains in touch with the making of the biopic and its production team led by noted Indian film director Shyam Benegal.
The Bangladesh part of the shooting of the biopic has been completed, she said hoping that the much-anticipated film, a joint venture of Bangladesh and India, would hit the movie houses soon.
Bangladesh and India launched the project to mark “Muijib Borso”, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, in 2020 and it is expected to be released by end of this year.
In the biopic Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo has played the role of Bangabandhu, while it has featured other popular actors like Nusrat Faria Mazhar, Nusrat Imroz Tisha and Sabila Nur.
Bangabandhu as revered in India as he is in Bangladesh: Jaishankar
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said Indians consider Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman an icon — a man of action, courage and conviction.
“He (Bangabandhu) is as revered and remembered in India, as he is in Bangladesh,” he said.
Jaishankar mentioned that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said Bangabandhu is their “hero” too.
As a mark of respect to him, both countries have commissioned a biopic on him, which is nearing completion, said the Indian minister.
Jaishankar was speaking at the award giving ceremony of the "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Student Scholarship" in New Delhi today (September 7, 2022).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conferred the first Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Scholarship on descendants of Indian armed forces personnel who were martyred or critically wounded during the Liberation war of 1971.
Read: Getting Kushiyara water is a big success of PM’s India visit: Quader
"Prime Minister, under your and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership, India-Bangladesh relations have taken great strides forward in ways that have not only shaped the contemporary but also the future trajectory of the partnership in mind," said the Indian foreign minister.
Jaishankar said for many years, freedom fighters have acted as a bridge between the two countries.
"That bond is now reaffirmed as the families of our war veterans and of those who made supreme sacrifices in the Liberation War, gather here today," he said, adding that the decision of the government of Bangladesh to award Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Student Scholarship is a testament of how the Liberation War of 1971 continues to inspire the bilateral relationship.
He congratulated the youths who received the scholarship and wished them success.
"You inherit a brave and historic legacy. Please honour and cherish it. As you will move ahead in life, you will be the custodian of the memory of that epochal war that gave birth to a new nation. So, do well and be true to everything that you do. That would be one of the finest tributes to a heroic leader, in whose name you receive this scholarship today," he said.
Jaishankar thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for this generous gesture of her government. "It is truly a symbol of our unique history."
Bangabandhu did everything to give Bangladesh a strong footing: FM
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said that Father of The Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did everything possible to place the country on a solid foundation.
Momen said this while speaking as the chief guest at an award-giving ceremony organized by Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) at the Sylhet Zila Parishad Auditorium on Friday afternoon.
“Under Bangabandhu’s leadership, Bangladesh received recognition from 126 countries within just three and a half years. After the Liberation War, Bangabandhu also sent back Indian soldiers from Bangladesh within just two and a half months. While Bangladesh received membership of all the major global organizations during his rule, his biggest contribution was to present the country with a constitution within just nine months of assuming power,” Momen said.
Also read: Make PM stronger to materialize Bangabandhu’s dream: FM
Momen added that the students need to know about the achievements of Bangabandhu.
“Bangabandhu has worked on all fronts, including education, culture and religion. His policies and strategies in the agricultural sector are still guiding us. Our foreign policy, which is ‘Friendship to all, malice to none’, is also the brainchild of him,” added Momen.
Writer and social worker Selina Momen attended the event as special guest. Fahima Yasmin, Secretary of Sylhet City Corporation, among others, was present at the event.
Also read: Bangabandhu upheld the principle of neutrality in a bipolar world: Anisul
BCL's Thakurgaon functionary suspended over Bangabandhu remarks
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has suspended one of its leaders from Thakurgaon for allegedly making defamatory remarks on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the National Mourning Day programme.
The suspended leader has been identified as Arif Khan Joy, general secretary of BCL’s Samir Uddin Memorial College unit, according to a press release issued by the Thakurgaon BCL unit on Monday.
The district BCL unit has also asked Joy to submit a written explanation on the allegation brought against him within three days.
Also read: Police baton-charge BCL men in Barguna: Probe body finds 13 police at fault
It has warned of making recommendations to the BCL central committee president and general secretary for his expulsion in case the response is not satisfactory.
Also read: Eden College: BCL president threatens to drive out some students
On August 15, a 15-second video of Joy went viral on social media where he made the purported derogatory comments on Bangabandhu. After the video was brought to the district BCL unit’s attention, it decided to suspend him.