Today marks the National Mourning Day, the day of losing the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On August 15 in 1975, a group of disgruntled army men brutally killed Bangabandhu and most of his family members, an ugliest chapter in the history of the country. The nation is set to observe the 47th martyrdom anniversary of independent Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman across the country with due respect and solemnity.
Father of the nation's two daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived the assassination as they were staying abroad. The government has chalked out elaborate programs to observe the day at national levels.
The national flag will be hoisted half-mast in all government, semi-government, autonomous institutions, educational institutions and private buildings including Bangladesh missions abroad, said a handout earlier. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay homage to Bangabandhu, by placing wreaths at his portrait at 6.30 am before the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No-32 in the capital. A guard of honor will be given by the armed forces and prayers will be offered there. The Prime Minister will also place wreaths at the Banani Graveyard on the graves of the family members of Bangabandhu and other martyrs who were brutally killed on August 15, 1975.
She will also offer Fateha and munajat seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs.
Special doa and munajat will be offered at mosques across the country including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zohr prayers. Special prayers will also be offered at temples, churches, pagodas and other places of prayers across the country.
Marking the day, national dailies have published special supplements, highlighting the importance of the day.
The Department of Films and Publications (DFP) has published posters for distribution across the country. Posters in English have already been dispatched to Bangladesh diplomatic missions abroad.
The Department of Mass Communication will screen documentary films on the life and works of Bangabandhu across the country. The Press Information Department (PID) will organize a weeklong photo exhibition at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Regional Information Offices under PID will also arrange photo exhibitions at divisional level.
Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television will broadcast special programs.
All educational institutions including public and private schools, madrasas, colleges and universities will arrange discussions, poem recitation, essay writing and painting competition, art exhibition, hamd-naat competition and doa mahfil.
In line with the national programs, discussion, doa mahfil and other programs will also be held at the district and upazila levels. The government officials must join the events.
All city corporations, municipalities and union parishads of the country will arrange programmes to mark the day.
The program of Dhanmondi and Banani in the capital and Tungipara in Gopalganj will be broadcast live on Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television.
Other private television channels, FM radio and community radio will also broadcast the program live in association with Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television.
Bangladesh missions abroad will also hoist the national flag half-mast and organize discussions marking the day.
Awami League (AL) has also drawn up programs to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu and the National Mourning Day.
National and party flags will be kept at half mast and black flags will be hoisted atop all AL offices across the country including Bangabandhu Bhaban and central office during the sunrise.
AL leaders and workers will pay glowing tributes to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number 32 here at 6am.
Tributes will also be laid to other martyrs of August 15 by placing wreaths at their graves in Banani graveyard at 8am. Special munajat, offering of Fateha, mazar ziarat and milad mahfil will also be held there.
A delegation of Awami League Central Working Committee, Gopalganj district and Tungipara upazila units of the party will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his mausoleum at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 12 noon. Fateha offering, milad and doa mahfil will be arranged there.
On August 16, a discussion will be arranged at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on the occasion of the National Mourning Day at 4.30pm.
Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will chair it.
Eighteen members of the Father of the Nation's family including Bangamata Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, three sons--valiant Freedom Fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal, valiant Freedom Fighter Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and 10-year old Sheikh Russel, two daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, brother valiant Freedom Fighter Sheikh Abu Naser, youth leader valiant Freedom Fighter Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni and his pregnant wife Arzu Moni, peasant leader valiant Freedom Fighter Abdur Rab Serniabat, his daughter Baby Serniabat, son Arif Serniabat, nephew journalist Shaheed Serniabat, grandson Sukanta Babu, and Abdul Nayeem Khan Rintu, among others, were assassinated by the heinous killers on that fateful night.
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