National Mourning Day begins

The nation is observing the National Mourning Day and 47th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today with due respect and solemnity.

Bangabandhu and most of his family members were brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the fateful night of 15 August 1975 and this carnage is touted as the ugliest chapter of the nation's history.

Father of the Nation's two daughters Sheikh Hasina, now Prime Minister, and Sheikh Rehana escaped the planned assassination as they were staying abroad.

The government has drawn up elaborate programmes in observance of the day at the national level.

The national flag will be hoisted at half-mast in all government, semi-government, autonomous institutions, educational institutions and private buildings including Bangladesh missions abroad, said a handout earlier.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay homage to Bangabandhu, the architect of independent Bangladesh, by placing wreaths at his portrait at 6.30 am in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No-32 in the capital.

A guard of honour will be given by the armed forces and prayers will be offered there.

The Prime Minister will also place wreaths at the Banani Graveyard on the graves of the family members of Bangabandhu and other martyrs who were brutally killed on August 15, 1975.

She will also offer Surah Fateha and munajat seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of the martyrs.

Special doa and munajat will be offered at mosques across the country including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zuhr prayers. Special prayers will also be offered at temples, churches, pagodas and other places of prayers across the country.

Special supplements will be published in national dailies and periodicals highlighting the importance of the day.

The Department of Films and Publications (DFP) has published posters for distribution across the country. Posters in English have already been dispatched to Bangladesh diplomatic missions abroad.

The Department of Mass Communication will screen documentary films on the life and works of Bangabandhu across the country. The Press Information Department (PID) will organize a weeklong photo exhibition at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Regional Information Offices under PID will also arrange photo exhibitions at the divisional level.

Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television will broadcast special programmes.

All educational institutions including public and private schools, madrasas, colleges and universities will arrange discussions, poem recitations, essay writing and painting competition, art exhibition, hamd-naat competition and doa mahfil.

In line with the national programmes, discussion, doa mahfil and other programmes will also be held at the district and upazila levels. The government officials must join the events.

All city corporations, municipalities and union parishads of the country will arrange programmes to mark the day.

The programme of Dhanmondi and Banani in the capital and Tungipara in Gopalganj will be broadcast live on Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television.

Other private television channels, FM radio and community radio will also broadcast the programme live in association with Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television.

Bangladesh missions abroad will also hoist the national flag at half-mast and organise discussions marking the day.

Awami League (AL) has also drawn up programmes to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu and the National Mourning Day.

National and party flags will be kept at half mast and black flags will be hoisted atop all AL offices across the country including Bangabandhu Bhaban and central office during the sunrise.

AL leaders and workers will pay glowing tributes to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number 32 here at 6am.

Tributes will also be laid to other martyrs of August 15 by placing wreaths at their graves in Banani graveyard at 8am. Special munajat, offering of Fateha, mazar ziarat and milad mahfil will also be held there.

A delegation of Awami League Central Working Committee, Gopalganj district and Tungipara upazila units of the party will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his mausoleum at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 12 noon. Fateha offering, milad and doa mahfil will be arranged there.

On August 16, a discussion will be arranged at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on the occasion of the National Mourning Day at 4.30pm.

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will chair it.