August, the month of mourning, begins today

Today is the first day of August, the month of mourning. In this month in 1975, the Bangalee nation lost the greatest son of the millennium, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, reports BSS.
On August 21, 2004, attempt was carried out to kill Awami League president and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, by mounting grenade attack at her anti-terrorism rally in the capital.
Though Sheikh Hasina escaped the grenade attack miraculously, 24 leaders, workers and supporters of her party including former president late Zillur Rahman's wife and Awami League's women's affairs secretary Ivy Rahman were killed and 500 others suffered splinter injuries in that horrendous attack.
The self-confessed killers of the August 15, 1975 carnage did not only assassinate Bangabandhu but also killed some 16 members of his family, friends and relatives including his wife Begum Fazilanunnessa Mujib, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, nephew and eminent journalist Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, his pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and Colonel Jamil.
Like the previous years, the Awami League leader said the ruling party and its associate bodies have chalked out a 40-day programme beginning on August 01 to mark the National Mourning Day commemorating the 40th anniversary of martyrdom of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
"The programme of the month of mourning will be initiated with a candle-light vigil (march with torches) towards Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi at one-minute past zero hours," Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said.
The other programmes of the day include, placing of wreaths and offering of fateha at the grave of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj district at 12-o'clock.
Bangladesh Krishak League (BKL) will organise a blood donation camp followed by a discussion on the premises of the city's Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 4-30 pm. Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the programme.
Besides, different political parties, socio-cultural and professional bodies have also drawn up elaborate programmes to mark the month of mourning.