Today is the 58th death anniversary of Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy, the worthy son of democracy. He died on this day in 1963 in Beirut hotel, the capital of Lebanon. His tomb is at the shrine of three leaders next to the Supreme Court in Dhaka. Various political, social and cultural organizations have undertaken detailed programs on the occasion of his death anniversary.
In 2004, Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy was ranked 20th in the list of best Bengalis in BBC Bangla survey. He was born in West Bengal, India, but he played an important role in the history of the birth of Bangladesh by forming a party called Awami League.
On this occasion in separate messages President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tribute to his memory.
On behalf of the Awami League, a program of homage, Fateha recitation and munajat have been arranged at the mausoleum of late Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy adjacent to the Bangladesh Supreme Court at 9 am today.
Suhrawardy is a rare example of state leader mentality and political foresight. He was born on September 8, 1892 in an aristocratic family of Midnapore in present day West Bengal. He is the youngest son of eminent Justice Sir Zahid Suhrawardy of Kolkata High Court. He went to England to study law following a lot of family tradition. He had a law degree from Oxford University and also worked as a lawyer in Britain for some time.
The East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was established on 23 June 1949 at the Rose Garden in KM Das Lane, Tikatuli, Dhaka, through a conference of a section of the then Bengal Provincial Muslim League led by Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy and Abul Hashem. Although Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani was elected President of Awami Muslim League at the time of its establishment, Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy was elected President of All Pakistan Awami League. After the resignation of Chowdhury Mohammad Ali in 1956, Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He then formed the National Democratic Front (NDF) for the purpose of anti-Ayub movement.
Awami League General Secretary and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader in a statement today paid deep homage to the memory of late Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy and said that he had fought for democracy all his life. The extraordinary strength, perseverance and qualities of his leadership have guided the nation on the right path. He had made outstanding contributions to the struggle for democracy, justice and the rule of law.
In the statement, he called upon the leaders and workers of all levels of the Awami League and its affiliated organizations to observe the death anniversary of Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy, the son of democracy with due honor.