Bangabandhu’s homecoming: An integral part of history

The historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all times, will be observed across the country in a befitting manner on Wednesday.

Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the nation and supreme commander of the country's Liberation War, returned to the sacred soil of independent Bangladesh via London and New Delhi on January 10 in 1972, after 290 days of confinement in Pakistan jail.

Millions of people, thronging the Dhaka streets, burst into tears on that rainy afternoon when the plane carrying Bangabandhu landed at Tejgaon Airport. They just waited to see the Father of the Nation for a glance. The slogan 'Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu' started vibrating all around. Bangabandhu got off the plane and went straight to Suhrawardy Udyan.

In an emotional but confident voice, he promised his nation to build the country anew. The whole nation became obsessed while looking at Bangabandhu's face amidst the silence of his voice. The nation got a new inspiration as the historic Homecoming of Bangabandhu fulfilled the victory and freedom of the Bengali nation and Bangladesh. Though the nation won the war on December 16, it got its real essence on January 10.

Addressing the nation, he said: "It should be remembered that Bangladesh is an independent state. Bangladesh will remain independent and no one can suppress Bangladesh. There is no use in conspiring about Bangladesh. Before I left, I said, Bengalis, now your struggle is a struggle for liberation. I said, build a fort from house to house. You are struggling by building a fort from house to house. Many of my brothers, many workers, many of my mothers and sisters are not in the world today, I will not see them.

Today I saw the people of Bengal, I saw the soil of Bengal, I saw the sky of Bengal and I felt the weather of Bengal. I salute Bengal, my Sonar Bengal, I love you so much, maybe that's why you called me."

In 1971, after the end of nine-month of bloody battles, the independent flag of red and green started flying on the world map. For the first time in the thousand years of history, the Bengalis achieved an independent and sovereign state under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The foundation of today's digital Bangladesh has been laid during the three and a half years of Bangabandhu's rule.

But the progress was halted in 1975 when a group of assassins, namely Col Abdur Rashid, Col Farook Rahman, Lt Col Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, Major Sharif-ul-Haque Dalim, Major Bazlul Huda, Major Noor, Lancer Mohiuddin and others, murdered the father of the nation and his entire family at their residence in Dhanmondi.

However, as long as there is the Bengali language, there will be Bangladesh, there will be Bengali culture; the triumph of 'Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu' will flow in the blood cells of this nation.