Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was born on March 17, 1920 AD in a noble family in the secluded village of Tungipara, Gopalganj. On that day, the child who opened his eyes for the first time in his mother's womb, later the recognition of that child spread beyond the borders of the country to the world. "Khoka" of parents' love; 'Mujib Bhai' beloved by political comrades; He earned the title of 'Bangabandhu' by being soaked in the love of Bengali freedom seekers from the beloved 'Sheikh Sahib' of his contemporaries; Disgustedly rejecting the Prime Ministerial offer of permanent vested interests, he became the nation's undisputed leader - the 'Father of the Nation' and ultimately the 'Greatest Bengali of All Time'. His name is associated with the Bengali national liberation struggle and the establishment of independent Bangladesh. This is not just a name but the history of Bengali national liberation struggle. That is why Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are synonymous. March 17 is a historic day in our national life. The day is celebrated annually as 'National Children's Day' in the state. This year on the 104th auspicious birthday of the father of the nation, the entire nation is gratefully remembering his historical contribution with utmost respect and paying tribute.

Bangabandhu had only one pursuit throughout his life, to sacrifice himself for the liberation of Bengalis. He led every struggle step by step. 1948 to ’52 movement for Bengali as one of the national languages; Abolition of Zamindari system from 1950 to 1954; ’54 to ’56 constitutional autonomy; Secularism against communalism in '64; In 1966, the right to national self-determination, i.e. 6 points; Through the mass movement of 1969, he came out of the death pit as a free man, demanding universal suffrage and the rights of numerologists; By participating in the historic elections of 1970, achieving a landslide victory and finally establishing the independent and sovereign People's Republic of Bangladesh through the great liberation war in 1971, calling for independence. He had to spend 13 years of his life in prison during these historical episodes of national liberation struggle.

A quote by Nelson Mandela, the leader of South African liberation people, is relevant in this regard. He said, It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. That is, 'It is said that one cannot truly know a nation until one has been imprisoned in its prison.' In 2012, I went to South Africa on an official visit to participate in an international conference and visited Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island. It is here that I think Bangabandhu was also kept in one such solitary cell in Mianwali Jail. Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his 27 years in prison in this prison. I saw with my own eyes the solitary cell of the prison. There are kept one for Mandela's bed and another blanket to put on, a plate, glass and jug. After reading the book 'Karagarer Roznamcha', I learned that Bangabandhu had a plate, a bowl, a glass and a blanket while he was in prison. In fact, he titled the book 'Karagarer Roznamcha' 'Jelkhanar Sambal Thala Bati Kambal'. Visiting here made me think again and again of our Central Jail and Pakistan's Mianwali Jail - where Bangabandhu spent his long incarceration.

As Bangabandhu's traveling companion to the Islamic Conference held in Lahore, I heard the narration from Habib Ali, Prison Governor (Jail Superintendent) of Mianwali Jail, that Bangabandhu was asked to choose the Prime Minister or the grave after digging a grave in front of the jail cell. Bangabandhu chose the grave and said, "In the light and air of Bengal, where I grew up, after death, send my body to my beloved motherland, Bangladesh, not in this grave." Since Mianwali Jail is in a foreign country, we could not preserve it. However, the room in which he was imprisoned in Dhaka Central Jail has been preserved. The Dhaka Cantonment where he was imprisoned in the Agartala case has also been turned into a museum. Self-sacrificing leadership in the struggle for human liberation has ideological similarities manifested in the glory of sacrifice. As the father of the nation said on March 4, 1971 for the total liberation of Bengalis, "The liberation of a nation has never come without extreme sacrifice." Likewise, Nelson Mandela said for the liberation of black people in South Africa, "True leaders must sacrifice everything for the liberation of the people." You have to be ready.' Bangabandhu always said, 'If you love people, people love you too. If you accept a little sacrifice, the people are ready to give their lives for you. "My biggest strength love the people of the country; the biggest weakness love them too much."

Bangabandhu always raised the small. In the places he visited, he used to highlight the leaders and workers in his speeches. He became the father of the nation by promoting Union Awami League leader to Thana, Thana Awami League leader to district and district Awami League leader to national leader. As a result, the Awami League spread to the grassroots throughout Bangladesh and has survived many ups and downs, still retaining the spirit of Bangabandhu. Bangabandhu was a great leader with heart. He could not bear anyone's sorrow. He easily adopted others. He would pull those who were against him. When he said, 'I don't want the Prime Ministership', people believed it. He did not do politics for power, to become prime minister.

Bengalis used to protect the beloved motherland from the vicissitudes of exploitation and deprivation

He did politics by sacrificing his life to control the destiny of Bengal. On his birthday on March 17, 1967, he wrote, “Today is my 47th birthday. I was born on this day in 1920 in a small village in East Bengal. I have never celebrated my birthday myself - my wife would have given me a small gift on this day. On this day I tried to stay at home. I saw in the newspaper that Dhaka City Awami League is celebrating my birthday. I think it's because I'm in jail. 'I am a man, and it is my birthday again.'" (Karagarer Roznamcha, Page-209) remembering the bloody March 17, 1971. That day was Bangabandhu's 52nd birthday. Non-cooperation movement is going on across the country. After the discussion with Yahya Khan, when he returned to his residence at 32 Dhanmondi in the afternoon from the then President Bhavan i.e. the old Ganobhaban Sugandha, a journalist asked Bangabandhu during a homely discussion with foreign journalists, 'What is your biggest and most sacred wish on your 52nd birthday?' He said, 'Total emancipation of the people.' Then he said in a painful voice, 'I don't celebrate birthdays, I don't light candles on my birthday, I don't cut cakes.' People are not safe in this country. You know the condition of our people. They can die at any moment at the whim of others. I am one of the people, what is my birthday, and what is the day of death? My life and death for my people. I have dedicated my life to the people.' The poet used to recite Rabindranath Tagore's poem to the people who came to congratulate him on his birthday, 'May my name be known as this, I am your people.'

Bangabandhu set the goal after the establishment of Pakistan. He went to the gallows repeatedly. Every step of Bangabandhu was timely. At that time in 1966, at the Awami League conference at Hotel Eden, poet Rabindranath Tagore's song 'Amar Sonar Bangla...' was sung as the opening song. After being elected as the president of the party at that conference, he said in a speech at Paltan Maidan on March 20, 'I have approached many people with the 6-point programme, but no one supported me.' .'' He also said, 'If my party leaders and workers are united, I will achieve my goal.'' Ayub Khan took up all the conspiracies to hang Bangabandhu. The official name of the Agartala case was ``State v. Sheikh Mujib and others'' case. The dictator made him the main accused and wanted to hang him. But he did not bow down. The struggling students of this country united and agitated for the release of the father of the nation. That mass movement turned into a massive mass uprising. Freed from the gallows, the grateful Bengali nation formally conferred the title of 'Bangabandhu' on the Father of the Nation in a mass reception at the Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan).

He was truly a friend of Bengali and 'Bangabandhu'. In an interview with David Frost, he said, 'I feel for my country and my people, and than my family.' Above all, the father of the nation had Bengalis and Bangladesh. He was the great leader of the oppressed people of the world. He supported the freedom struggle wherever he went. Bangabandhu can be compared with Mahatma Gandhi of India, Nelson Mandela of Africa, Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, Kemal Atatürk of Turkey, Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia. He was their equal leader. Many countries in the world became independent sitting at the negotiating table. Bangabandhu made the country independent through a bloody liberation struggle. He gave his life for the Bengali nation. As Nelson Mandela said, 'No one can kill him who wants to die.' Bangabandhu said, 'He who is ready to die, has no death.' Bangabandhu is a great leader in history, a shrewd politician. He used to think and make decisions. Once he made a decision, he would not compromise even in the face of death.

The establishment of 'Bangladesh' was the cherished dream of Bangabandhu's heart. On the anniversary of Suhrawardy's death on December 5, 1969, he chanted in his voice, 'Amar desh tomar desh Bangladesh Bangladesh.' Everything that has happened in the establishment of independent Bangladesh has been done on the orders of Bangabandhu. Nelson Mandela said in 1952, "One day I will be the president of South Africa." And Bangabandhu said, "One day I will make this country independent." But the Prime Ministership is insignificant to me.'' To achieve that goal, he has taken his adorable program step by step. Oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected National and Provincial Council members in the 1970 elections at Racecourse Maidan on 3 January 1971. Bangabandhu himself will take the oath. In his speech on that day, he said, '6 points and 11 points are not mine today, nor are they of my party. Today it has become the property of the people of Bengal. If anyone betrays it, the people of Bengal will bury him alive. Even if I do me.' His politics and programs were for the people.

In his speech that day he also said, 'Monem Khan could not conquer me, not even Ayub Khan could - but this undying love of yours has weakened me. Please pray that I can give you the dignity of this love.' He did not give blood alone to give the dignity of love to the people of Bengal, he paid his debt with the blood of his family.

I remember the historic speech of March 7, 1971; The speech today is considered as a 'document of world heritage'

He is sitting in the seat of honor in the world meeting. On that day, he united the entire nation through a speech and transformed the unarmed Bengali into an armed nation. Seven and a half million Bengalis stood at the estuary of national liberation. During the Great War of Liberation, these 7th March speech was our source of inspiration. At the beginning of the declaration of independence on the first hour of March twenty-sixth, he said, 'This may be my last message. Bangladesh is independent from today. His last message was the declaration of independence, taking the weapons to heart and freeing the country from the invaders on 16th December. After 9 months of fighting, we could not feel the taste of freedom. On January 10, 1972, when he returned home with the pain of losing his relatives, it seemed that today we are truly free. Then on January 12, he assumed the duties of the Prime Minister. He established the parliamentary democracy in the country and announced the constitution for the country in the first session of the 'Bangladesh Constituent Assembly' on 10 April. In just 7 months under the leadership of Bangabandhu we achieved one of the best constitutions in the world suitable for the newly independent country.

While traveling abroad with Bangabandhu, I saw firsthand the respect, devotion and love of foreign statesmen towards him. The statesmen of the world have recognized the sacrifice of Bangabandhu. Indian President Shri VV Giri, Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Soviet Union Head of State Nikolai Podgorny, Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin, Communist Party General Secretary Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, British Prime Minister Edward Heath, Yugoslav statesman Marshal Joseph Broz Tito and world leaders met Bangabandhu at various conferences. Expressed respect for Standing on the stage of the Non-Aligned Conference in Algeria, Bangabandhu said, 'The world today is divided into two parts. The exploiter and the exploited. I am for the exploited.' That speech created a stir around the world. He created history by speaking at the United Nations in Bengali, his beloved mother tongue. In the speech, he said, "Peace is absolutely necessary for the survival of mankind." When he visited the Soviet Union, the top four leaders of the country, Podgorny, Kosygin, Brezhnev and Andrei Gromyko, gathered in the Kremlin to receive him. Brezhnev hugged Bangabandhu and said, 'I am blessed. Today I got close to a great leader like you. During his visit to Japan, Emperor Hirohito shook hands with Bangabandhu and said, "You are truly a great leader in history." Marshal Tito was one of the statesmen in the world at that time. I have seen his deep love and respect for Bangabandhu. 32 heads of state and government attended the Commonwealth Conference in 1973. British Prime Minister Edward Heath, upon hearing the news of his release from the Pakistani jail after a long imprisonment and arriving in London, UK, immediately returned from the holiday center and greeted Bangabandhu at No. 10 Downing Street with a hug saying, 'You are a great leader and I never thought I would meet you.'

Today I especially remember the day of March 25, 1971. In the morning I went out to meet Bangabandhu at number 32 of Dhanmondi, after work I met the leader again. As I was leaving, I said, Bangabandhu, I think they will definitely arrest you. Strong-convinced Bangabandhu said, "Don't do it." What is it? They have arrested me before and it didn't help them. They may arrest me again. But I don't know what benefit they will get from this. Even if they kill me, it will not benefit them. Thousands of Sheikh Mujibs will be born on the soil of Bengal to avenge my death. They also know that their days are over. Today, after a long struggle, this truth fills my heart with immense joy. If they kill me and you get a chance to see my dead body, then you will see how happy I am smiling.' In a journalist interview on the eve of the genocide, He quoted Bengali poet Jibanananda Das' poem and said in a sad tone but with a firm spirit, 'I will come back to the bank of Dhansidi in this Bengal. ...'

Returning to his homeland on January 10, 1972, he poured his heart's offering to the largest ever crowd at Race Course Maidan and said in emotional language, "When I go to the gallows, I will say, I am a Bengali, Bangla is my country, Bangla is my language." I told you one day, build a fort from house to house. Today I say, today we have to work from house to house for our development.' In the speech that day, he also said, 'I want to say clearly that Bangladesh will be an ideal non-communal state. And its foundation will not be based on any particular religion. The basis of the state will be - democracy, nationalism, secularism and socialism. Bangabandhu sang the victory song of Bengali's overall liberation at every stage of life.

Author: Member, Advisory Council, Bangladesh Awami League; Member of Parliament, Bangladesh National Parliament.