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Nation observes Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day

January 11, 2019 00:00:00


The country celebrated on Thursday the homecoming of its founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from a Pakistani jail in 1972, report agencies.

On January 10, 1972, Bangabandhu returned home to Dhaka through London and New Delhi 24 days after Bangladesh emerged as a free nation by defeating the Pakistani armed forces in a nine-month war.

Since then, January 10 has been observed as Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day.

The celebration of the day began with hoisting the national flag along with the party flag of the ruling Awami League, at its central office in Dhanmondi along with other party offices throughout the country.

Later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid her tribute by placing a wreath at Bangabandhu's mural in Dhanmondi at 7:30 am on Thursday. The premier observed a minute of silence. A team of the President Guard Regiment offered armed salute at that time.

She paid her respects to the Father of the Nation placing another wreath at his mural along with her fellow leaders from the Awami League.

The leaders of Awami League's associate bodies joined Hasina to mark the occasion which has been the first official programme of the party after the Awami League formed the government for a third consecutive term.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion of Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day.

The Pakistani occupation army had arrested Bangabandhu from his Dhanmondi residence on Road No. 32 in March of 1971, just after he proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh through a message. A brutal crackdown by the Pakistani army followed in Dhaka.

The nation was ultimately released from the Pakistani occupation after a nine-month war inspired by his brave leadership, even as Bangabandhu remained detained in a Pakistani prison.


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