“Dear Sonamoni (little angel), take my greetings and affections. Please convey my salam (greetings) to your parents and affections to your siblings. Extend my greetings to your neighbours as well,” she said in an open letter sent to the children through their educational institutions across the country.
Sheikh Hasina added: “Today is March 17. A great human being was born on the soil of Bangla on this day in 1920. He is my father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman”. The premier informed the children that Bangladesh is actually a gift of Bangabandhu to the Bengali nation.
“He (Bangabandhu) gave the opportunity to the Bengalis to be identified as a nation. That’s why he is our Father of the Nation,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina told the children that throughout his entire life Bangabandhu had to struggle and sacrifice his personal comforts for the emancipation of the wretched people from hunger and poverty.
“He languished in jail for several times. Misery of the people used to make
him saddened. He didn’t hesitate to sacrifice anything for establishing the
rights of deprived people,” the letter read.
The premier added: “He had emerged as nearest and dearest one of the sons
of this Bangla – That is why, he is Bangabandhu”.
She said it was not Bangladesh alone, several other countries across the
globe was celebrating “our Father of the Nation’s birth centenary — ‘Mujib
Year’.
“Brutal bullets of killers took away father of the nation. They (killers)
tried to erase his name from the history of Bangladesh. But they couldn’t do
so,” she said, adding they could not realise that from the stairs of his Road
32 residence, Bangabandhu’s blood spill over Bangladesh and gave birth to
crores of Mujibs.
That’s why, today, people of Bangladesh are wide awake in search of truth,
Sheikh Hasina said, adding, “History can’t be erased. Truth can’t be
suppressed by falsehood. Today, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation
is being celebrated not only in Bangladesh, but also across the world. The
world has recognised Bangladesh trough his momentous sacrifices”.
“We have pledged to Father of the Nation that we will build the “Sonar
Bangla” as dreamt by him. And that day is not far. The father is asleep next
to his parents amid the greeneries of Tungipara. May he rest in peace,” she
said, adding his Bangladesh is marching forward in an indomitable pace and
will continue to do so in the days to come.
“We will remain wake up with his ideals inscribed in our hearts. People
will wake up– generation after generation — in his Sonar Bangla. The flag
that he gave (to the nation), will remain raised forever,” the Prime Minister
said.
“You must study attentively; develop yourselves as worthy citizens of the
country to serve the nation and people,” she urged the children.
“Joy Banglar Joy, Joy Mujiber Joy, Joy Bangabandhur Joy,” she uttered. A Primary and Mass Education Ministry spokesman said the premier’s letter was reached to primary schools across the country to be read out tomorrow.
But, he said, since the coronavirus outbreak across the globe forced authorities to close the schools, the school authorities handed the letter to the students today.
(BSS)
