'Extreme Disrespect Shown To Bangabandhu Is Unbearable': Son Sajeeb Shares 'Hasina's Message'

Bangladesh's ousted PM Sheikh Hasina urges observance of National Mourning Day condemning the destruction of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Museum, honoring the victims of the 1975 assassination of her father and other martyrs

File Photo of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina

Source : PTI

Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has issued her first statement since fleeing the country, condemning the recent anarchic violence and the destruction of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Museum in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area as a profound insult to her father, the founding president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the countless martyrs who gave their lives for the nation.

In a message delivered through her son, Sajeeb Wazed, Hasina expressed her deep sorrow over the events of August 15, 1975, when former PM Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally assassinated in their home during a military coup. Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, survived as they were out of the country at the time.

"Dear Countrymen, On the 15th of August 1975, the President of Bangladesh and the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was brutally assassinated. I pay my deepest respects to him. Alongside him, my mother Begum Fazilatunnesa, my three brothers — Freedom Fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal, Freedom Fighter Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal, Kamal and Jamal’s newlywed wives Sultana Kamal and Rosi Jamal, my youngest brother, who was only 10 years old, Sheikh Russell — were all mercilessly murdered," she stated.

Hasina continued to express her sorrow, honouring the memories of other victims from that fateful day, "My only uncle, the disabled freedom fighter Sheikh Nasser, the President’s Military Secretary Brigadier Jamil Uddin, and police officer Siddiqur Rahman were also cruelly killed. I offer my respects to freedom fighter Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni and his pregnant wife Arju Moni, Agriculture Minister and Freedom Fighter Abdur Rab Serniabat, his 10-year-old son Arif, 13-year-old daughter Baby, 4-year-old grandson Sukanta, my brother’s son and freedom fighter journalist Shahid Serniabat, my nephew Rentu, and many others who were brutally murdered. I pray for the forgiveness of the souls of all those who were martyred on the 15th of August and express my respect to them."

Hasina further lamented the loss of lives due to recent quota protest violence, attributing it to sabotage, arson, and terrorism disguised as protests. "Since July, due to sabotage, arson terrorism, and violence in the name of protests, many innocent lives have been lost. I express my condolences to the students, teachers, police officers, including a pregnant woman police officer, journalists, cultural workers, professionals, leaders and workers of the Awami League and its associated organisations, passersby, and others who were victims of this terrorist aggression and lost their lives. I pray for the forgiveness of their souls."

Reflecting on the massacre at the Dhanmondi residence, she said, "In 1975, on the 15th of August, the Dhanmondi residence of Bangabandhu witnessed a horrific massacre. My sister and I dedicated that house, which carries the memories of that day, to the people of Bangladesh. It was turned into a memorial museum. People from all walks of life, from common citizens to distinguished individuals from home and abroad, have visited this house. This museum, which carries the memories of our independence, is a symbol of that."

Hasina described the destruction of these memories in recent violence stating, "It is with great sorrow that I say that, holding onto those memories, bearing the pain of losing loved ones, and keeping all that grief inside, I have continued to serve you...with the aim of bringing smiles to the faces of the suffering people of Bangladesh. You have started to witness the fruits of that effort. Bangladesh has been recognised as a developing nation on the global stage. Today, that has been reduced to ashes. The memories that gave us the courage to live have been burnt to the ground. The extreme disrespect shown towards Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose leadership we achieved independence, self-respect, and a free country, is unbearable. The blood of countless martyrs has been dishonoured. I seek justice from the people of this country."

She concluded her message by urging the people to observe National Mourning Day on August 15 with due dignity, to offer floral tributes at Bangabandhu Bhaban, and to pray for the departed souls. She signed off with the words, "Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu."

Awami League Vs BNP For Khaleda Zia's Birthday Celebration On August 15

The date of August 15 is important not just for the Awami League but also for former Bangladesh prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia, who celebrates her birthday on the same day. This has been a point of contention since 1996 when Zia began celebrating her birthday on August 15, which has irked the Awami League.

In August 2016, a journalist filed a case questioning the authenticity of Zia's birthday, alleging that it was chosen deliberately to mock Rahman. An arrest warrant was issued against Zia by a local court that year for failing to appear at three consecutive hearings, according to PTI.

Notably, a day after Sheikh Hasina resigned from the Bangladesh PM's chair and left the country, Opposition leader Khaleda Zia was freed from jail. Zia has been serving a 17-year sentence in various corruption cases since 2018. 

Meanwhile, the violence that has erupted since the fall of the Hasina government on August 5 has claimed over 230 lives, bringing the total death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests began in mid-July. An interim government has since been formed, with Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, aged 84, serving as the Chief Adviser, who recently announced the portfolios of his 16-member council of advisors.