Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon people to take a fresh vow to turn Bangladesh into a safe abode for children and build a country free from hunger, poverty and illiteracy as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“On the eve of the birthday of the Father of the Nation as well as the National Children’s Day, I urge people of the country to take a fresh vow to transform our beloved motherland into a safe abode for children,” she said in a message.
Hasina said children would have to learn the true history of the motherland and the struggling life of Bangabandhu to build their personality and flourish their patriotism.
“Let us come and sacrifice our present for the welfare of our children’s future. Let us work together being imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War and build a hunger, poverty and illiteracy-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by the Father of the Nation.
Paying her deep homage to Bangabandhu on his 95th birth anniversary and the National Children’s Day, the prime minister conveyed her best wishes to people, especially children.
She said Bangabandhu had a limitless affection for children, and that is why the day of his birth has been declared as the National Children’s Day. “On this day, I pray to Almighty Allah for the eternal peace of the departed soul of Bangabandhu and for the prosperous future of our children and juveniles,” she said.
Recalling Bangabandhu’s long struggling life, Hasina said Bangabandhu was fearless, courageous and benevolent and the last resort for realising righteous demands of the people of Bangladesh. “The main aim of Bangabandhu’s long career was to free the Bangali nation from the shackle of subjugation,” she said.
The Pakistani rulers at the very outset made onslaught on our mother tongue and Bangabandhu was detained on March 11, 1948 while a general strike was in force to realise the demand of recognising Bangla as the state language.
“From 1948 to 1952, Bangabandhu was put behind bars time and again. But he continued to lead the struggle whether he was in jail or in freedom. During the tragic incident of February 21 in 1952, Bangabandhu was in confinement and gave directives from internment,” she noted.
As a continuation, she said, the victory of the United Front in 1954 election, the anti-martial law movement against the military junta Ayub Khan in 1958, the movement against the Education Commission in 1962, the historic six-point demand of 1966, the mass upsurge in 1969, general elections in 1970 and the Independence War of 1971 were steered under the undaunted leadership of Bangabandhu.
Hasina said his charismatic leadership and personality brought the whole nation under one umbrella. “We got the coveted independence and a sovereign Bangladesh. The Bangali nationalism got flourished,” she said.
She said Bangabandhu was not only the leader of Bangalis but also a forerunner in realising the rights of the oppressed and deprived masses of the world.
“When Bangabandhu devoted himself to rebuilding the country, the anti-liberation and reactionary forces brutally killed him along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975 to halt the spirit of the Liberation War and development spree,” she said.
Hasina said the illegal military rulers then defaced the country’s constitution, one of the finest constitutions of the world. “They rehabilitated the anti-liberation, war criminals and reactionary forces. The countrymen were deprived of their right to life and vote. The legacy to distort the history of independence and freedom struggle started,” she said.
