As we remember Bangabandhu …
As we remember Bangabandhu …
Let us build on his legacy
Remembering Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is fundamentally a recalling of some of the most glorious moments in the history of Bangladesh. For it was under his leadership and on his watch that we waged a long, tortuous struggle for democratic rights and national liberty. It was through his inspiration that this nation emerged into freedom and took its place on the global stage. In Bangabandhu was personified the most articulate spokesperson of Bengali aspirations, the most visible and vibrant face this nation could present to the world.
As we observe National Mourning Day, we remember with profound distress the calamity which befell us on this day in 1975 when a sinister alliance of conspiracy and darkness put an end to the lives of the Father of the Nation and nearly his entire family. If the attainment of liberty under Bangabandhu’s leadership was our finest moment, his assassination and all that followed in the immediate aftermath of it were our darkest hour. Bangabandhu’s murder was to set off a chain of tragedy — of coups, counter-coups, murder and intrigue — which was to keep this nation shackled to instability and uncertainty for years. It was not until measures were initiated against his murderers, not until the wheel of justice began to turn slowly and yet surely, that we rested easy.
This morning, it must be for us to recall the spirited, long struggle Bangabandhu waged in our name and try understanding the nature of that struggle in our interest and in the interest of generations to come. Bangabandhu’s ideal was the shaping of Shonar Bangla, Golden Bengal, where his people would weave a rainbow pattern of dreams to live by. His faith in his people never wavered, as our conviction in the strength of his leadership was never shaken. He envisaged smiles on the faces of his countrymen; he envisioned a society where collectively we could put the forces of exploitation to flight and reclaim our country for ourselves.
Our best tribute to Bangabandhu will be to recall his dream of a democratic, secular and economically viable Bangladesh and translate it into reality. That is how we can uphold his legacy, for all time.
