‘There are some nights darker than the day of new moon’
Photo: Bartatwentfour.com
Dhaka: Some nights of human life become darker than the day of new moon. Such a small hours came in the life of the Bangalees. It was 15th August of 1975. On that morning the architect of Bangladesh, Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed brutally along with most members of his family except present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana who were abroad. The defeated force of 1971 introduced a black chapter of regime after his killing in Bangladesh.
Poet Mahadev Saha composed a ballad on that night as follows:-
‘সেদিন কেমন ছিলো- ১৫ই আগস্টের সেই ভোর
সেই রাত্রির বুকচেরা আমাদের প্রথম সকাল
সেদিন কিছুই ঠিক এমন ছিলো না
সেই প্রত্যুষের সূর্যোদয় গিয়েছিলো
সহস্র যুগের কালো অন্ধকারে ঢেকে
কোটি কোটি চন্দ্রভুক অমাবস্যা তাকে গ্রাস করেছিলো
রাত্রির চেয়েও অন্ধকার ছিলো সেই অভিশপ্ত দিন।’
ঠিক যেন তাই!
That black night occurred in the small hours of 15th August, 1975. Not only Bangabandhu but his wife, a great lady who inspired Bangabandhu in his political life BegumFazilatunnessa Mujib, only brother of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Naser, Bangabandhu’s eldest son captain Sheikh Kamal, his wife Sultana Kamal, second son Lt. Sheikh Jamal, his wife Rozy Zamal, youngest innocent son Sheikh Russel
One of the organizers of liberation War Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, Bangabandhu’s brother in law Abdur Rob Serniabat, Serniabat’s youngest daughter Baby Serniabat, grand son Sukanto Abdulla Baby, nephew Shahid Serniabat, Abdul Naim khan Rintu, Bangabandhu’s chief security officer Colonel Zamiluddin Ahmed and on duty many security personnel were killed in that night. Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana escaped death as they were abroad.
Next the terrified and barbaric description of the happenings in the house of Bangabandhu at road no. 32 came out from the direct observers.
Bangabandhu and his wife were sleeping along with their youngest son Sheikh Russel in their bed room on the first floor. Sheikh Naser was sleeping in another room of the same floor. Sheikh Kamal and Sheikh Zamal were sleeping with their wives in separate rooms of the same floor. The security personnel were on duty in the ground floor. The killers according to their plans surrounded Bangabandhu’s house from three sides.
Self confessed killer Major Farooq was then busy in resisting the Jatiya Rakhkhi Bahini at Sher- e -Bangla Nagar, the other killers attacked their targets with deadly weapons and brutally killed the selected persons. However, their main target was the house of Bangabandhu on road no. 32.
The killers at morning 5-30 A. M. attacked the house of Bangabandhu. The on duty security personnel tried to resist the killers but they were overpowered by the better armed invaders.
Hearing the sounds of gun fire Bangabandhu came down scaling the stairs. But he was also mercilessly killed by on the stairs. The killers then went on the upstairs and brutally killed everybody even the tender aged Sheikh Russel was not spared.
It is learn from the books of Lt. Colonel (Retried) M.A. Hamid that Bangbandhu sought helps from all resources as President of the Republic but only Colonel Zamiluddin, his chief security officer turned up in his rescue. But unfortunately he was also killed on his way in front of present Sobhanbag mosque.
After much try Bangabandhu got Army Chief General Shafiullah who told in turn, ’Can you get out of your house, I am trying to do something.’ But Shafiuulah did not send a single army to rescue the Father of Nation as well as President who was also Commander in Chief of the armed forces, according to constitution.
To the contrary after some time Major Dalim announced on the radio that ‘Sheikh Mujib has been killed’.
The whole nation became dumb founded and moved by an unbounded grief.
It is learnt from many sources that captain Huda and Major Noor fired and killed Sheikh Mujib. Bangabandhu was wearing Lungi, Punjabi, he had cigarette pipe and match box in his hands. The killers punched 24 bullets into his body from their automatic weapons.
Bangabandu was killed not only just after 3 and half years but the killers also stopped the trials of his killing by the hated ‘Indemnity Ordinance’ which was given constitutional legality by the 5th amendment of the constitution later on by President Ziaur Rahman though the ordinance was promulgated by Khondoker Mustaque.
Through the killing of Bangabandhu the killers not only killed a person but an institution who was rebuilding a war ravaged country. So all development efforts in the light of Liberation War, free thinking, the flourishing of Bangalee culture and other specialties were destroyed.
The post ’75 governments sent the killers abroad in the embassies to represent Bangladesh. There is no tragedy in the world like this what happened after killing of Bangabandhu.
The nation had to bear the burden of ‘no justice’ for long 21 years. Finally through a systematic trial on January 28 of 2010 five killers were hanged but the rest self confessed killers are still fugitive who are hiding in different countries.
On the occasion of 44th national mourning day in a message Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, let us all following the ideals and sacrifices and sufferings- build up a hunger free, poverty free, secular and prosperous Bangladesh. Let us build up the Father of the Nations’ dream ‘Sonar Bangla’. This is our commitment on this day, Sheikh Hasina added.
