Editorial
Bangabandhu's assassination
Declare this day as National Mourning Day
The nation observes with appropriate solemnity the thirty-second anniversary of the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the members of his family today. The day should serve as a moment for the nation to go into serious soul-searching about the tragedy and the terrible ramifications it has had on national politics since August 15, 1975. The time has surely arrived when as a society we need to have our perspective on the tragedy set in clear outline as a way of moving on. And that is a job that can be done through taking steps toward officially declaring August 15 as National Mourning Day. We would like to take this opportunity to point out here that The Daily Star has since 1993 editorially been demanding that August 15 be declared as National Mourning Day.
One hardly needs to reiterate the thought that the tragic happenings of August 1975 remain a dark spot on the history of this nation, particularly because of the clear absence of justice that was noted with regard to the murders under successive governments. It is a matter of grave embarrassment that Bangabandhu's assassins were given protection through an infamous indemnity ordinance that was again incorporated as law through the fifth amendment to the constitution. What remains galling for the nation is that most of the assassins were subsequently sent off to Bangladesh's diplomatic missions abroad in various capacities. At a later stage, some of the killers were even permitted to set up a political party and take part in the 1988 presidential election. Such episodes only went towards further undermining our national self-esteem, a phase that came to an end only when an Awami League government initiated the process of a trial of Bangabandhu's murderers through a repeal of the indemnity ordinance in 1996. We hope that the wheels of justice will turn fully and that the shame perpetrated in August 1975 will never be repeated.
Today, as we recall the contributions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to our history and the pivotal role he played in the shaping of our destiny, we ask the powers that be that August 15 be officially declared National Mourning Day as a mark of respect to the great man. We are happy to observe that steps have been taken to correct the history of Bangladesh's struggle for freedom in school textbooks. It is a move that will surely go a long way toward removing the falsehoods that have distorted our history since August 1975. We understand that the President, the Chief Adviser and the chiefs of the army, navy and air force will visit Bangabandhu's grave in Tungipara today. We welcome the move. Their presence at the final resting place of the country's founder will surely be a true manifestation of the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh.
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