As August 15 approaches, the day marking the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, questions loom over how the Awami League will observe the National Mourning Day this year. The recent ouster of the Awami League government, along with the flight of its leader, Sheikh Hasina, to India, has left the party in a state of disarray, raising concerns about its ability to organize traditional commemorative events.
Despite the turmoil, party members at various levels have expressed their commitment to paying tribute to Bangabandhu at his portrait on Dhanmondi Road No. 32. Social media has been abuzz with posters and messages promoting the event, with Md Zaber Hossain, a member of the party’s agriculture and cooperative affairs sub-committee, urging supporters to join in a Facebook post that read, “The 15th August is the National Mourning Day. March to Dhanmondi 32. Join in groups to make the event successful.”
However, the situation remains uncertain. Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif was quoted by BBC Bangla as saying that the party has sought permission and security from the interim government to hold the August 15 program. Yet, in a conversation with bdnews24.com, Hanif dismissed the report as “fake news,” denying any formal request for security.
M Sakhawat Hussain, the Home Affairs Advisor, confirmed that no such application had been received from the Awami League. He further noted that the decision on whether to grant a public holiday on August 15 would be discussed in an upcoming cabinet meeting, leaving the matter unresolved for now.
The aftermath of the government’s fall on August 5 has seen widespread violence against Awami League offices and leaders’ homes, with the party’s central office in Dhaka being set ablaze. The Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, once the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was also torched, reflecting the intensity of the unrest.
The tragic events of August 15, 1975, when Bangabandhu and most of his family were brutally assassinated by rogue army officers, have long cast a shadow over the nation. The massacre, which even claimed the life of 10-year-old Sheikh Russel, left only Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who were abroad at the time, as survivors. For two decades, the day went unobserved at the national level until it was declared National Mourning Day by the Awami League in 1996, a designation later annulled by the BNP-Jamaat coalition in 2001. It wasn’t until a High Court ruling in 2008 that the day was reinstated as a national observance.
Under the Awami League’s leadership, the day has been marked with a variety of programs across the country, particularly in Dhaka and at Bangabandhu’s mausoleum in Tungipara, Gopalganj. This year, however, with many top leaders fleeing the country and grassroots members going into hiding, the future of these observances is uncertain.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Sheikh Hasina’s son, took to Facebook on Sunday night, releasing a video message urging the party’s leaders and activists to pay homage to Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 on August 15. Despite the chaos, the party’s Tungipara unit has announced plans to carry out traditional mourning activities, including hoisting the national flag, wearing black badges, and holding prayer services and food distributions among the poor.
Gopalganj District Awami League General Secretary GM Sahabuddin Azam emphasized the importance of the observance, calling on party members who cannot attend the programs to march to Dhanmondi 32. Whether these plans will materialize amidst the ongoing political upheaval remains to be seen.