January 10 is the Homecoming day of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's. On this day in 1972, after being released from the captivity of Pakistan, he returned to the land of newly independent Bangladesh.
He was released on January 8 after serving imprisonment for nine months in Pakistan's Mianwali jail. He later moved to London from Pakistan. Then Bangabandhu returned to Dhaka via Delhi.
On the occasion of the day, various parties and organizations including Awami League and its affiliated organizations have taken a massive program. The program includes hoisting of party and national flags at the party's central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban and party offices across the country, laying of floral wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation and discussion meetings.
On this occasion President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages.
In the early hours of March 26, 1971, Bangabandhu declared the independence of Bangladesh and called upon the people of all walks of life to join the war of liberation. Immediately after the declaration of independence, he was arrested on the orders of General Yahya Khan, the military ruler of Pakistan, and taken to a prison in the then West Pakistan.
Although the final victory was achieved after a nine-month war against the Pakistani army on 16 December 1971, the nation tasted the full victory with Bangabandhu's return home on 10 January.
The Father of the Nation was released from Pakistan in small hours of January 8, 1972. On this day Bangabandhu and Dr. Kamal Hossain (along with his family) were boarded on a London bound plane. They arrived at London's Heathrow Airport at 6.30 am. After 10 pm, Bangabandhu spoke with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Edward Heath, Tajuddin Ahmed and the then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi and many others. He left for the country the next day on January 9 in a British Air Force plane.
On the morning of the 10th January he landed in Delhi. Bangabnadhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of newly independent Bangladesh, received a warm welcome from the President of India VV Giri, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the entire cabinet, chiefs of staff, chiefs of the three forces and other guests and the people of that country. Bangabandhu expressed his sincere gratitude to the leaders and people of India for their generous help. He described his return to his homeland as "a journey from darkness to light."
He reached Dhaka at 1:41 pm. After the final victory, on January 10, the Bengali nation was eagerly waiting to give a hearty welcome to Bangabandhu. Millions of people, overwhelmed with joy, gave him a spontaneous reception from Dhaka Airport to the Racecourse(now Shurawardy Udyan) ground. He gave a speech in the presence of about 1 million people at the Racecourse ground at 5 pm.
The next day, various newspapers including Daily Ittefaq and Sangbad wrote about Bangabandhu's return to his homeland in this way: Tears of joy and sorrow flowed from his eyes. After getting back the beloved leader, seven and a half crore Bengalis were soaked in tears of joy that day and the air of Bengal vibrated with the sound of Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu. '
The people rejoiced when Sheikh Mujib stood in Suhrawardy Udyan and said in his historic classical speech, ‘The land I love so much, the people I love so much, the nation I love so much, I did not know if I could go to Bengal. Today I have returned to Bengal to my Bengali brothers, mothers, sisters. Bengal is independent of me, Bangladesh is independent today.
Respectfully, he recalled the sacrifices of all and encouraged everyone to work for the betterment of the country, saying, "From today, my request, from today, my order, from today, my order, as a brother, not as a leader, not as Prime Minister, not as president. I am your brother, you are my brother. This freedom will not be fulfilled for me if the people of Bengal do not get rice to fill their stomachs, this freedom will not be fulfilled for me if the mothers and sisters of Bengal do not get clothes and this freedom will not be fulfilled for me if the youth of this country do not get jobs. Mukti Bahini, student society congratulates you, you have become a guerrilla, you have given blood, blood will not go in vain and blood has not gone in vain.”
Bangabandhu said, ‘One thing- from today onwards there should be no more theft and robbery in Bengal. Let there be no more looting in Bengal. There are other people in Bengal, people from other countries, people from West Pakistan who do not speak Bengali; I tell them to become Bengalis. And I'm telling my brothers don't touch them, we love people, people. "But those who broke into the houses of my people and killed them will be tried and punished," he said, referring to the Father of the Nation. "Leave them in the hands of the independent government of Bengal, no one will be forgiven." But I want them to be tried and punished in an independent court in an independent country. I want to show that peaceful Bengalis know how to give blood to the world, peaceful Bengalis also know how to maintain peace. '
Bangabandhu said, 'You have got me. I'm coming. Little did I know that my death sentence had been handed down next to my cell, and a grave had been dug for me. I was ready, I said I am a Bengali, I am human, I am Muslim and Muslim does not die once or twice. I said, my death comes if I go on laughing. I will not insult my Bengali nation, I will not apologize to you. And when I go, I will say Joy Bangla, Swadhin Bangla, Bengali is my nation, Bengali is my language, Bengali soil is my place. '