Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman this morning by placing wreaths at the portrait of the great leader in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in Dhaka on the occasion of historic Mujibnagar Day.
She first placed a wreath as the prime minister and stood there for some time in solemn silence as a mark of respect to the architect of independence.
Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina laid another wreath as the Awami League President paying homage to Bangabandhu.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, AL leaders Dr Abdur Razzaque, Dr Hasan Mahmod, Enamul Haque Shamim, Ahmad Hossain were, among others, present.
On this day in 1971, the nation witnessed the oath-taking of the country’s first government.
On April 17, 1971, the mango-grove village at Baidyanathtala witnessed the ceremonial formation of the provisional government of Bangladesh and millions of freedom-loving people listened to the announcement of the formation of the government through radio.
Following the Pakistan occupation army’s attack on unarmed people on the night of March 25 in 1971, the first government of an independent People’s Republic of Bangladesh was formed on April 10 in 1971 comprising the elected representatives with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as its President, while Syed Nazrul Islam Vice-President and Tajuddin Ahmad Prime Minister.
On April 10, the elected representatives firmly supported and approved the declaration of independence by Bangabandhu on March 26, 1971, and issued a formal proclamation of independence.
Source: The Daily Star
April 10, 1971 is also a remembrance day of few soldiers of independence – Syed Nazrul Islam, and Tajuddin Ahmad in particular – who risked their lives to initiate this revolutionary decision of forming a government-in-exile (GIE) and although the champions of GIE formed the government with Sk Mujibur Rahman as the President, who was more conspicuous by his absence than his presence. So if we are to lay wreaths and show respect for formation of GIE, it ought to have been those leaders that took this pioneering game-changing initiative and not, well not just Sk Mujibur Rahman.