Page 9 - MUJIB100- Magazine on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Where the Head is Held High
AAMS Arefin Siddique
Today is the 15th of August. The Father of the Na on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was
assassinated along with his family 45 years ago at dawn of 15 August 1975. We remember the Father of the
Na on with deep reverence on the occasion of this Na onal Mourning Day and pray for the salva on of his
departed soul. We also extend our deepest respect to all those including the family-members of
Bangabandhu, who were martyred on that accursed day.
We are observing the Na onal Mourning Day this year amid a calamitous me owing to the deadly outbreak
of a disease spread by novel coronavirus. Just as we are observing the birth centenary of Mujib by shelving all
formali es, similarly we shall recall the Father of the Na on gently a er adhering to all health-related
regula ons. Because of his farsighted leadership, we are today proud ci zens of an independent country.
The lines of the poem 'Where the Mind is without Fear' composed by the Nobel Laureate Poet Rabindranath
Tagore about 120 years ago appeared to be a reflec on of Bangabandhu's life. He could embrace death with
fearless and silent sophis ca on even during the accursed dawn of 15 August 1975; while staying at his own
residence on Dhamondi's road-32 during the terrifying night of 25 March 1971, he could declare the
independence of Bangladesh resolutely without any fear in the first hours of 26 March, “This may be my last
message, Bangladesh is independent from today”; he could proclaim in a thunderous voice at Dhaka's the
then Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in the a ernoon of 7 March 1971, while helicopters of the
Pakistani forces hovered above, “The struggle this me is a struggle for our freedom, the struggle this me is
for our independence”; he could start a hunger strike while in jail on 16 February 1952 with the demand for
making Bangla the principal state language of Pakistan.
Therefore, no Bangalis need to repeat what Rabindranath had hinted by saying “The great man is coming”, as
that was fully synonymous with the brief but colourful life and mesmerising personality of Bangabandhu,
which was full of struggles, suspense, and empathy for the libera on of humans. Bangabandhu is today
recognized globally as the greatest Bangali of a thousand years due to his founding of an independent na on-
state for the Bangalis and endowing them with a cohesive na onal iden ty. He could raise the Bangali na on
to this unique height by providing leadership up to his death, while always holding his head high with honour
and dignity.
The renowned Bri sh journalist David Frost had taken a long interview of Bangabandhu a er coming to
Dhaka in January 1972. At one stage, Frost asked the ques on, “[In the first hours of 26 March 1971) As you
le your home at 32, Dhanmondi, did you think you would ever see it again?” In reply, Bangabandhu had said,
“I didn't, I thought this was the last, but if I die as a leader with my head up, at least they will not be ashamed;
but if I surrender to them, my na on, the people of my country could not show their face to the world. It is
be er that I die keeping the pres ge of my people.”
In reply to another ques on of David Frost, Bangabandhu had said, “A man who is ready to die, nobody can
kill him. You can kill a man physically, but can you kill a man's soul? You can't. It's my faith.” To another of
Frost's ques on, Bangabandhu responded by saying, “I love my people first. I know that a human being has to
die one day, either today, tomorrow, or the day a er tomorrow. Therefore, every human should die like a
courageous man.”
Bangabandhu was similarly calm, tranquil, bere of worries and fear before the killers of 15 August 1975. He
embraced death by holding his head high. Bangabandhu's memoirs wri en in jail have now been published.
His books 'Unfinished Memoirs', 'Prison Diaries' and 'The New China as I Saw' should be essen al reads for
the children of our new genera on. I discern many unknown facts of history from these valuable books. We
are forever grateful for the reless effort and inspira on extended by Bangabandhu's wife Sheikh
Fazilatunnesa Mujib for her suppor ve role in the wri ng of these books as well as her important
contribu ons toward our na onal life. Begum Mujib has indebted the whole na on forever through her
mely and sagacious advices to Mujib during various cri cal junctures of the na on.
We observe strange similari es in so many instances of human lives. The book 'Unfinished Memoirs' was
wri en by Bangabandhu while in jail. Its preface was wri en by his daughter Sheikh Hasina on the 7th day of
the grief-stricken month of August 2007, while si ng in the dark room of a sub-jail set up in Dhaka. His
daughter Sheikh Hasina has been providing leadership to this country's 160 million people by upholding the
ideals of his father. In the preface to the book 'Unfinished Memoirs', Sheikh Hasina has wri en, “My father
Consul General's Note
Father of the Na on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had been the icon of resistance and beacon of
hope against tyranny and oppression. No obstacle could stop him from freeing the people of Bangladesh
from the shackle of repressive Pakistani regime. His death on the 15th of August 1975, purported by the an -
libera on segment, remains as the greatest tragedy for Bangladesh. We deeply mourn his death on this 45th
anniversary of his martyrdom.
In only three and half years into Bangladesh's independence, Bangabandhu was successful to place the war-
ravaged Bangladesh in the trajectory of growth and development. His visions and unwavering figh ng spirit
have guided Bangladesh through difficult mes even a er he le us and kept us on the course to become a
middle-income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041.
Like all of Bangladesh, there has not been any dearth of excitement and enthusiasm among the Bangladesh
community in Australia to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. The Consulate General of
Bangladesh in Sydney has also drawn various events to celebrate the birth centenary which has been
declared as Mujib Year (2020-21) by Bangladesh Government. Although some of the planned events,
including a rally and a photo exhibi on, were postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Mission was
successful to kick-off the year's celebra on with a dance performance by a Bangladeshi dance troupe, Dhri
Nartanalaya, portraying the life of Bangabandhu at Bryan Brown Theatre of Sydney on 23 February 2020.
Unfortunately, the celebra on of the birth anniversary on 17 March 2020 and the Independence and
Na onal Day on 26 March 2020, which was scheduled to take place at NSW Parliament, had to be scaled
down and done in-house at the Consulate premises to comply with the COVID-19 restric ons. Con ngent
upon the COVID situa on, the Consulate will con nue to organize further events to celebrate the Mujib Year
2020-21. The publica on of this magazine is another effort of the Consulate in the Mujib Year to propagate
the life and philosophy of Bangabandhu among the Australian audience.
As we celebrate the birth centenary of this greatest Bangali of all mes, the world is facing once-in-a-century
crisis triggered by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Bangladesh, once again, is drawing inspira ons and
strength from the unflinching figh ng spirit of Bangabandhu to courageously face the pandemic. Using its
own model to face COVID-19, the government, under the able leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, has intervened mely, decisively, and successfully to save both lives and livelihoods of the people.
While keeping the death and infec on under control, the economy has been kept opera onal, which led
Bangladesh to post the highest GDP growth (5.24%) of the year among all Asian countries.
Let the birth centenary of Bangabandhu keep our moral high in the face of the challenges of the pandemic
and unite us to con nue to collec vely pursue Bangabandhu's dream of Sonar Bangla- the Golden
Bangladesh.
Khandker Masudul Alam
Consul General of Bangladesh
Sydney, NSW, 15 August 2020