The people of Tungipara, Gopalganj, have observed August 15, the day Bangabandhu and most of his family members were killed in 1975, without Sheikh Hasina, who is now in India following her resignation as prime minister.
Although Hasina could not attend this year’s event on Thursday, the general public gathered in droves at Bangabandhu's grave in Tungipara to pay their respects.
The day saw a significant turnout as people came to honour the memory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu was assassinated along with most of his family members. Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, who were abroad at the time, survived the massacre. After six years in exile, Sheikh Hasina returned to Bangladesh on May 17, 1981, and subsequently assumed leadership of the Awami League.
She has led the party for over four decades, first becoming prime minister in 1996, and later forming the government consecutively four times since 2009.
Facing pressure from student protests, she resigned from the post of prime minister and fled the country on August 5.
As a result, she could not pay her respects at her father's grave in Tungipara on the 49th anniversary of Bangabandhu's death.
This year's National Mourning Day in Tungipara was observed without her presence for the first time in 43 years, with no central Awami League leaders or former ministers in attendance.
The day was first observed as National Mourning Day in 1996.
Before this official recognition, the day was commemorated by Bangabandhu's party, the Awami League, along with various political and social organizations, through their own arrangements.
During her tenure as prime minister, Sheikh Hasina made it a point to visit Tungipara every year on August 15 to pay tribute to Bangabandhu.
Even when she served as the leader of the opposition, she visited the upazila on August 16 each year to honour her father's memory. These visits typically included discussions where both national and local leaders would deliver speeches.
