Who is The Founder of Bangladesh? | Father of the Nation

Who is The Founder of Bangladesh? | Father of the Nation

Father of the Nation’ is an honorific bestowed on individuals who are considered the most important in the process of the establishment of a country or a nation. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bengali: শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান 1920 – 1975) Is the Founder And Father of the Nation of Bangladesh. He is the architect of independent Bangladesh. Bangladesh was never independent in the truest sense of the term before 1971. It was Mujib and only Mujib who gave the nation a real touch of freedom.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman served as the first President of Bangladesh and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 17 April 1971 until his assassination on 15 August 1975. He is popularly dubbed with the title of “Bangabandhu” (Bôngobondhu “Friend of Bengal”) by the people of Bangladesh. He became the important leader of the Awami League, founded in 1949 as an East Pakistan–based political party in Pakistan.

For gaining political autonomy for East Pakistan and central figure of Bangladesh Liberation Movement in 1971. Thus, he is known as “Jatir Janak” or “Jatir Pita” (both meaning “Father of the Nation”) of Bangladesh. His daughter Sheikh Hasina is the current leader of the Awami League and also the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was born on 17 March 1920 in the village Tungipara under the Gopalganj. His father’s name is Sheikh Lutfar Rahman and his mother’s name is Sheikh Sayera Khatun. His father was a serestadar (court clerk) in the civil court of Gopalganj. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman passed his matriculation from Gopalganj Missionary School in 1942, IA (Twelfth Grade) from Islamia College, Calcutta in 1944 and BA from the same College in 1947.

He was an activist of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League and a member of the All-India Muslim League Council from 1943 onwards. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a founding member of the East Pakistan Muslim Students League (est. 1948), one of the founding joint secretaries of the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League (est. 1949), general secretary of the Awami League (1953-1966), president of the Awami League (1966-1974), president of Bangladesh (in absentia from 26 March 1971 to 11 January 1972), prime minister of Bangladesh (1972-24 January 1975), president of Bangladesh (25 January 1975-15 August 1975).

An initial advocate of democracy and socialism, Mujib rose to the ranks of the Awami League and East Pakistani politics as a charismatic and forceful orator. He became popular for his opposition to the ethnic and institutional discrimination of Bengalis in Pakistan. He comprised the majority of the state’s population.

Important Facts of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

1943

In 1943, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was becomes the councillor of All India Muslim League from Bengal. He continued to serve admirably in this position till the partition of India in 1947.

1953

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman becomes General Secretary of the Awami Muslim League at its council meeting.

1954

The first elections in East Bengal were held on March 10. The Awami League won the election and Sheikh Mujib won the election from the Gopalganj constituency.

1955

Under the leadership of the Party General Secretary Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Awami Muslim League was renamed as the Awami League by dropping the word ‘Muslim’ to open the doors of the party to all, regardless of religion.

1957

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman becomes again the General Secretary of the Party at its council meeting held during June 13-14, 1957.

1966

On February 5, 1966, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman presented his historic six-point programme known as the `charter of freedom of the Bengali nation’. It drew the roadmap for the independence of Bangladesh under the garb of greater autonomy.

1968

On January 3, the Ayub government filed a case, known as the ‘Agartala Conspiracy Case’ against a number of Bengalis (Politicians, members of the Army, Navy and Air Forces, Civil Servants etc) on the charge of treason.

1971

The Bengalis’ aspirations for freedom reached an indomitable height.  On March 7, in his historic speech before the millions of people at the Racecourse Maidan (Suhrawardy Udyan), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called his fellow countrymen to take all-out preparations for the war of liberation and independence of Bangladesh. On the midnight of March 25, the Pakistan army launched its heinous campaign of genocide against the unarmed Bengalis. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the Independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26. Right after the proclamation, the Pakistani Government arrested him and taken to a Pakistani prison. On December 27, the Bangladesh government sought Mujib’s immediate and unconditional release.

1972

The Government of Pakistan releases Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on January 8, under immense international pressure.

1975

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated by a handful of army renegades as part of a larger national and international political conspiracy hatched by anti-liberation forces in the pre-dawn hours of August 15. They murdered in cold blood every member of his family except his daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who by fortune alone were abroad at that time. Bangladesh observes August 15 as the National Mourning Day and remembers the noblest and the greatest Bengali who ever lived, through his spirit, ideology, courage and love for the people of his nation.

Reference

  • http://www.bdembassyusa.org/?page=father-of-the-nation
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Mujibur_Rahman
  • https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-150738

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