Month of mourning begins today

The month of mourning begins today commemorating the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on August 15, 1975.

The August 15 carnage is the ugliest chapter of the nation's history as the self-confessed killers also killed 16 other members of Bangabandhu's family, friends and relatives.

The nation observes with heavy heart the month of August as the month of mourning to recall the barbaric killings.

The August 15 carnage martyrs included Bangabandhu's wife Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, his sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, Bangabandhu's brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, nephew and youth leader Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, Moni's pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and Bangabandhu's military secretary Colonel Jamil.

Bangabandhu's two daughters - incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana - escaped the planned killing as they were visiting Germany at that time.

To mark the month of mourning, the ruling party will bring out a mourning procession in the capital at 3:00pm on Friday marking the month of mourning.

The procession will be brought out from the premises of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) adjacent to Suhrawardy Udyan and it will end on Bangabandhu Bhaban premises at Dhanmondi-32 after parading through Shahbagh, Elephant Road and Mirpur Road, said a press release.

Also, different other political and socio-cultural organisations chalked out month-long programmes.