AL ready to observe National Mourning Day

The Awami League is preparing to observe National Mourning Day on Aug 15 amid a challenging backdrop, including the cancellation of public holiday by the interim government and potential disruptions.

The party announced on social media that its programme will begin with floral tributes at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s portrait on Dhanmondi Road No. 32 on Thursday morning.

Its leaders are in hiding or abroad, notably former prime minister Sheikh Hasina who is currently in India. It has called on its members to participate in the observance.

The workers have called for a march, despite the active presence of Anti-discrimination Student Movement activists who toppled the Hasina government last week.

The Awami League has not faced such a challenging situation since the fall of the Ershad regime in 1990.

On Aug 5, shortly after the government's fall, almost all statues and murals of Bangabandhu were vandalised across the country.

The Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32, along with the Shaheed Bedi, was set on fire.

The party has planned the march around the burnt building.

Shamsun Nahar Chapa, education and human resources secretary of the AL, told “Under Sheikh Hasina’s direction, our leaders and workers will pay their respects to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at 32 Dhanmondi on the 15th of August.”

Members of the party have shared stickers on Facebook, calling for people to join “March to Dhanmondi 32”.

Ariful Rahman Russel, deputy office secretary of Dhaka South unit of the party, told that the party will observe the day with due respect, in coordination with the central leaders.

He also outlined the programme, which includes:

• 8am: Laying wreaths at 32 Dhanmondi
• 8:30am: Milad Mahfil
• 9am: Mourning procession from Dhanmondi 32 to Kalabagan field and back
• 10am: Paying respects at Banani Graveyard

Within four years of winning independence from Pakistan, Bangabandhu, along with most of his family members, was assassinated by some rogue army officers on Aug 15, 1975.

The self-confessed killers even did not spare 10-year-old Sheikh Russel on the darkest night in Bangladesh's history. Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived at that time as the two daughters of Bangabandhu were abroad.

The Aug 15 massacre was not commemorated for 20 years from 1975 to 1995 at the national level.

It was declared National Mourning Day by the party after it came to power in 1996, which was again scrapped by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami coalition government in 2001.

The day has been observed as National Mourning Day since 2008 following a High Court order.

Over the past 15 years, the Awami League had been observing the day with numerous programmes spanning the month.

Similar events were planned for this year too but the government was brought down by a student-led mass movement.

The interim government cancelled the Aug 15 holiday during its first meeting.

Hasina called for observing the day with solemnity.