ED: A day of deepest grief

This tragic history of August 15 is well-known. On this day, 45 years ago, our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was taken from us, brutally murdered along with his family.

An entire nation was shaken with grief -- millions of people wept for the man who had ensured, through blood and sacrifice, that the nation of Bangladesh would come into existence, rebelling against the oppressive forces of the Pakistan Army.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s death stands as one of the darkest moments in our history, one which we must remember to mourn every year, for this is the day we lost the great leader who inspired an entire nation to stand up for its rights to determine its own cultural and linguistic identity, to rebel against oppression, and to stand up for its right to exist. As we mourn, we must also remember the values which he imparted upon us.

The politics and practices of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have, over the years and even after his death, taught us lessons that we must never forget -- of democratic ideals, of equality, of social justice, of peaceful co-existence. Bangabandhu understood that it is through our commitment to these values, all of which strives to put the needs of Bangladeshis first, that we can become a country which would one day stand as a beacon of economic progress and social development.

It is on the shoulder of these values that we have found the strength to stand up as an independent nation. It is through our understanding of the great man’s ideals that we were able to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals, and are making swift progress towards fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. 

It is as a result of the vision that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had for this nascent nation that we have continuously, without fail, worked towards making that vision come true, with our economy growing at a rate that surpasses that of our neighbours.

This year has pressed upon us an unprecedented reality -- with the coronavirus pandemic upon us, never has it been more important to strive in every way to be better, stronger, more resilient. This is a challenge unlike anything our nation, or even the world, has experienced, posing challenges to our economy, to the livelihoods of people, to the lives of every single one of us.

We must remember the poor and the needy, those who do not have the privilege to stay indoors or work from home, and do everything we can to ensure that they do not spend a single day without food on their table.

We must remember the ones affected by this deadly disease, and work towards ensuring that our health care sector is prepared and equipped in a manner that ensures treatment for even the most vulnerable amongst us.

But this darkest of days serves as a reminder of something far more cynical: That there will always be those amongst us who will conspire and act in ways counter to the interests of the nation. There will always be forces that oppose the values upon which this country was built. We must stand vigilant against those forces.

Our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, realized that our greatest strength as a nation can only be achieved, and Bangladesh’s potential reached, if we continuously stand up against tyranny, oppression, and those who seek to hold us back. We need those values today more than ever. 

Out of this bleakest moment in our history, may we find the courage and strength to move forward as a nation, and stay on the right path.