Homage paid to Bangabandhu across globe

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DHAKA, Aug 16, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladeshi expatriates and foreign dignitaries across the globe paid their profound homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as Bangladesh missions abroad observed the National Mourning Day with due solemnity and dignity.

The National Mourning Day commemorates the 45th martyrdom anniversary of

Bangladesh founding father and members of his family killed brutally on August 15 in 1975.

The missions observed the day through almost identical programmes of hoisting national flag at half mast, playing national anthem, placing floral wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu, reading out messages from President Md. Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and holding discussion meetings.

Bangladesh missions in the UN, India, the UK, the USA, Canada, Japan, China, Australia, Pakistan, Singapore, the Netherlands, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, France, Nigeria and middle east countries including Saudi Arabia observed the day, according to messages received here.

In a discussion meeting at the Bangladesh permanent mission at the United Nations (UN), Bangladesh permanent representative to the UN ambassador Rabab Fatima mentioned that Director-General of the UNESCO Audrey Azoulay issued a message marking the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu.

In her message, Azoulay said, “I would like to pay tribute to his life and legacy. Even four and a half decades after his death, the world still remembers his dedication, struggle and sacrifices when fighting for the rights and freedom of his people.”

This year, she informed, UNESCO is joining the world in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran, eminent Indian journalists Gautam Lahiri, also a former president of Press Club of India
(PCI), and Dipanjan Roy Chowdhury, a senior correspondent of the Economic Times, took part in a discussion organized by the Bangladesh mission in New Delhi.

“While we mourn the death of Bangabandhu, we also pledge in this Mujib Borsho to turn the grief of his loss into strength and engage ourselves in building a hunger and poverty-free prosperous Bangladesh,” Imran said.

Gautam Lahiri, also an expert of Bangladesh affairs, said the killers could kill Bangabandhu, but they failed to eliminate his ideology (Mujibism), which
focuses on nationalism and secularism, development and global peace.

“He (Bangabandhu) was not only a leader of Bangladesh rather he was the leader in the region,” he added.

Dipanjan highlighted the growing economic relations between India and Bangladesh and the growth of connectivity, saying Bangladesh-India relations
stand on a solid foundation and are growing further based on trust, culture and history.

The function witnessed the unveiling of a special publication titled “Immortal Bangabandhu”, by the high commissioner, joined by other officers
and two guest speakers.

In the Washington DC, at a discussion, Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Mohammad Ziauddin expressed his optimism that the USA would send back Bangabandhu’s fugitive killer Rashed Chowdhury soon, saying that efforts have been continued for repatriating the murderers who are hiding in foreign lands.

“We are convinced that the USA, as champion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, shall return the (Bangabandhu’s) killer to Bangladesh soon,” he said.

The government had traced out Bangabandhu’s two out of five convicted fugitive killers — Rashed Chowdhury and Noor Chowdhury — residing in the USA and Canada respectively, while the whereabouts of other three fugitive murderers — Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim and Moslehuddin Khan — are yet to be ascertained.

In London, British minister, members of parliament, Bangladeshi expatriates and diaspora paid their profound homage to Bangabandhu as Bangladesh high commission there organized a discussion marking the day.

UK Minister for London and minister for small business, consumers and labour Paul Scully, Chair of the UK Labour Party Angela Rayner and British MP and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh and the UK’s Trade Envoy for Bangladesh Rushna Ara Ali joined a virtual commemorating discussion on Saturday marking the day.

From Bangladesh, land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in person and political affairs adviser to the Prime Minister, HT Imam virtually joined the discussion, chaired by Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, Saida Muna Tasneem, said a press release received here today.

Eminent journalist Abdul Gaffar Choudhury, leading organisers of Bangladesh War of Independence in the UK Sultan Mahmud Shariff and British-Bangladeshi community leader Syed Sajidur Rahman Faruk also participated in the discussion.

British minister Scully recalled Bangabandhu’s close relations with Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath and said Bangabandhu’s relation transcended UK party politics and cuts across both labour and conservative parties.

Labour Party Chair Rayner, who represented Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer at the meeting, paid special tribute to Bangabandhu on behalf of her party and termed Bangabandhu a great leader of Asia.