Week-long exhibition on Bangabandhu goes on at PID

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DHAKA, Aug 14, 2020 (BSS) – On the occasion of the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Mourning Day on August 15, a week-long exhibition is going on in the city upholding photographs, digital displays and compilations of newspaper-headlines on Bangabandhu.

It has been organized on the premises of the Clinic Building of the Press Information Department (PID) in the city where rare pictures of Bangabandhu and his family, his political life and newspaper clippings are being displayed.

If any person visits the exhibition, he or she would feel the firm morale of Bangabandhu by seeing the newspaper headline: ‘Bideshi Sahajjo Nebo-Kintu Swadhinota Bikiye Noy (Foreign aid would be taken-but not by selling independence)’.

The newspaper headline was printed on the first page of Dainik Bangla, February 14, 1973, Wednesday.

In war-torn Bangladesh, it was difficult to meet the basic needs of the people. On top of that, the government needed financial assistance to overcome the huge losses in every sector including communication, transport, health, education.

In such a situation, there was no alternative to foreign aid but at that time Bangabandhu placed maximum emphasis on protecting the sovereignty of the country.

“Foreign policy will remain independent and neutral” (Sunday Daily Bangla, 17 March 1973, Sunday).

One of the most important aspects of Bangabandhu’s far-sighted administration was foreign policy when a visitor finds a newspaper headline in the exhibition and that is: ‘Parorastro Niti Thakbe Swadhin O Niropekho (Foreign policy will remain independent and neutral)’.

It was published Dainik Bangla, March 18, 1973, Sunday.

There are more newspaper headlines which are displayed in the event that indicates Bangabandhu’s far-sighted leadership and visionary state thinking for his country such as ‘Lekhonir Madhome Desh Seba Korun (Serve the country through writing), ‘Biranganader Punarbashon Jatiya Dayitto (Rehabilitation of war-heroines is a national responsibility) and Banglar Mati te Juddhaporadhider Bichar Hobei (War-criminals must be tried on the soil of Bengal).

There are several photographs which help people recall the memories of many moments of Bangabandhu such as Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Sheikh Mujibur Rahmanin in the first morning procession (known as Probhat Ferry) on February 21 in 1953 in memory of the martyrs of the 1952’s language movement and the then East Pakistan Chief Minister Ataur Rahman Khan and Minister Bangabandhu accompanied Indian President Rajendra Prasad during his state visit to New Delhi in 1957.

The picture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with the newly elected Awami League members of both national and provincial council to take an oath supporting the 6-point demand on January 3, 1971 has become a witness of tomorrow.

In a photograph, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib were captured with Joy, son of Sheikh Hasina, the incumbent prime minister and Awami League president.

Wearing his grandfather’s cap, little boy Joy posed for the picture, but none knew that this would be Joy’s last close interaction with Bangabandhu.

Recalling his memories as Bangabandhu’s private secretary, former governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr Mohammed Farashuddin Ahmed said there was festivity in Bangabandhu’s family throughout the month of July in 1975.

Bangabandhu joined the birthday function of Joy on July 27, although the function was very much simple, he added.

According to Farashuddin Ahmed, on July 14, 1975, Bangabandhu’s eldest son Sheikh Kamal tied knot with Sultana Ahmed Khuku, the youngest daughter of Dhaka University’s (DU) then executive engineer Dabir Uddin Ahmed, while Sheikh Jamal married his cousin Rosy Jamal, daughter of Syed Hossain, on July 17, 1975.

Their wedding related pictures have been attached on the wall in the exhibition.

PID Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarkar told BSS that the department has been organizing the exhibition regularly for the last four years on the occasion of National Mourning Day.

He said there was a plan to organize the exhibition on a larger scale this year on the occasion of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary but it is being held on a limited scale due to the ongoing global pandemic.

However, there are plans to organize this exhibition in Chattogram, Rajshahi and Khulna in future, he added.

About Bangabandhu’s newspapers clippings, he said that these were taken from the PID’s own collection.

However, most of the pictures have been collected from different sources, he said, adding that the number of pictures and clippings in the exhibition will be increased in future.

BSS/SPL/MJ/SRH/GA/1723 HRS