Homecoming Day of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding president, will be observed across the country today.
Sheikh Mujib returned to the free soil of Bangladesh on January 10, 1972 after his release from solitary confinement for nine months and a half in a Pakistan prison during the country’s War of Independence.
The Pakistan government released Mujib on January 8, 1972.
From Pakistan, he flew to London, where he met the then British prime minister, Edward Heath, and addressed the international media.
He then flew to Dhaka on January 10, 1972, after a brief stopover in Delhi.
A huge crowd welcomed him at Tejgaon Airport.
On the midnight of March 25, 1971, he was picked up from his residence at Road 32 of Dhanmondi by the occupation army of Pakistan soon after its crackdown on the unarmed Bengalis began in what was then East Pakistan.
In separate messages, president Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina recalled the untiring hard work begun by Mujib immediately on return home to rebuild the war-ravaged country.
Besides the ruling Awami League and its front organisations, several socio-cultural organisations took elaborate programmes to celebrate Mujib’s homecoming anniversary.
AL’s daylong countrywide celebrations would begin with flying the national and party flags at its offices and Bangabadhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi at 6:30am.
Wreaths would be placed at Mujib’s mural at Dhanmondi 32 at 7:00am.
AL will hold a public rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital at 2:30pm on January 10, which would be addressed by Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, also the prime minster.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader has requested leaders and activists of the party across the country and common people to celebrate Mujib’s Homecoming Day.
Source : New Age