President, CA and services chiefs in Tungipara
Hopeful moves towards a national consensus
We at The Daily Star congratulate President Iajuddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and the chiefs of the three armed services on their visit to Tungipara to pay homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15. It was a truly appropriate gesture, one that the Founder of the State surely deserves for his pivotal role in the creation of this free Bangladesh republic in 1971. Indeed, the presence of the head of state, head of government on the one hand and the chiefs of the army, navy and air force on the other at Bangabandhu's grave is evidence of a convergence of thoughts among them on the place of Bangabandhu in our national history. More significantly, the honour thus shown to Bangabandhu ought to be seen as a reflection of a long-felt national desire to see the country's founder placed on a proper pedestal. The gesture is demonstrative of a process of vindication regarding Bangabandhu's status.
In the overall sense, we believe that what took place in Tungipara on Wednesday augurs well for the country's future. Of course, August 15 was not officially observed as National Mourning Day. Despite that, however, the presence at Bangabandhu's mausoleum of individuals occupying such powerful and influential positions in the state structure is symbolic of the national will to have Bangabandhu placed above all controversy and given the historical perch he so richly deserves. In other words, in Tungipara there was a de facto acknowledgement of Bangabandhu's death anniversary as National Mourning Day. It was, we are convinced, a healthy attitude adopted by the powers that be and should serve as an indication of the transparent, purposeful politics we would like to see define our collective national being in the times ahead.
It must be noted, though, that the observance of Bangabandhu's death anniversary this year was rather muted at the political level. Besides, it was largely confined to the capital. Such an absence of a demonstration of public sentiment, despite the signals going out from the top levels of the state, of course had to do with the fact that the country is currently under a state of emergency. But since the presence of such a high level team in Tungipara can be considered a sign of things to be, we will hope and expect that it will mark the building of a consensus around Bangabandhu's place in history and will be seen as a beginning to the shaping of a unified national response to the observance of his death anniversary as National Mourning Day.
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