Even world leaders regarded Bangabandhu as one of their own people

Throughout his life, Bangabandhu pursued one goal, and that was to sacrifice himself for the liberation of Bengalis. Step by step, he led every struggle: the Language Movement of 1948 to 1952; the abolishment of the zamindari system from 1950 to 1954; the constitutional self-rule from 1954 to 1956; against communalism in 1964; the Six Point Movement for national autonomy in 1966; emerging from the abyss of death during the mass uprising of 1969, demanding universal suffrage and the implementation of the principle of majority rule; participating in the historic elections of 1970, achieving a landslide victory, and ultimately declaring the call for independence in 1971, leading to the establishment of independent and sovereign People's Republic of Bangladesh through the glorious Liberation War.

In the historic chapters of the national liberation struggle, he spent thirteen years of his life in prison. South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela made a notable statement in this regard. He said, 'No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.'

In 2012, during an international conference, I went on a government trip to South Africa and visited the prison cell of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island. It reminded me of how Bangabandhu was also held in a similarly secluded cell during his time in captivity. It was in these prison cells that Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in incarceration. I vividly recall the solitary confinement cell, where preserved is Mandela's bed with one blanket for cover, a plate, glass, and mug.

I learned from reading 'Karagarer Roznamcha' that in captivity, Bangabandhu's possessions were a plate, a bowl, a glass, and a blanket. This made me reflect repeatedly on our central prisons and the ones in Mianwali, Pakistan, where Bangabandhu endured a long period of imprisonment.

As a companion of Bangabandhu, I heard from Lahore, during an Islamic conference, a description from the Prison Governor (Jail Superintendent) Habib Ali at Mianwali Jail. It was mentioned that in front of the prison cell, there was a grave dug, and Bangabandhu was given the option to choose between being the Prime Minister or being buried in that grave. Bangabandhu chose the grave and said, 'I have grown up in the light and air of Bengal. After death, let my body be sent to my beloved homeland, Bangladesh.'

For a period of nine months, the Father of the Nation was imprisoned in solitary confinement at Mianwali Jail in Pakistan. Since Mianwali Jail is located in Pakistan, we were unable to preserve it. However, the cell where he was imprisoned in Dhaka Central Jail has been preserved. Also, the room in Dhaka Cantonment where he was detained during the Agartala Conspiracy Case has been turned into a museum. In the struggle for people's liberation, exemplary leadership has emerged, illuminated by the glory of sacrifice. Just as on March 4, 1971, the Father of the Nation declared in pursuit of the universal liberation of Bengalis, 'Without the utmost sacrifice, no nation can attain freedom.' Similarly, Nelson Mandela, in the quest for the liberation of the people of South Africa, stated, 'For the liberation of the masses, true leaders must be prepared to sacrifice everything.' Bangabandhu always emphasized, 'If you love the people, they will love you in return. If you accept even a small sacrifice, the general public will be willing to give you their lives.' 'My greatest strength lies in loving the people of my country, and my greatest weakness lies in loving them too much.'"

Bangabandhu always uplifted the smaller ones. Wherever he traveled, in his speeches, he emphasized elevating the grassroots workers of those places. He elevated the leader of the Union Awami League to the level of the thana (police station), the leader of the thana Awami League to the district, and the district Awami League leader to the national level. As a result, Awami League spread throughout Bangladesh, reaching far and wide, and even today, it remains rooted in the consciousness of the people, all because of Bangabandhu's vision."

Bangabandhu was compassionate and a great leader. He couldn't bear to see anyone in pain and readily took it upon himself. He easily forgave those who opposed him. When he said, 'I don't want to be Prime Minister,' people believed him. He didn't engage in politics for power or to become Prime Minister. He dedicated his life to politics to protect the beloved motherland from oppression and exploitation so that Bengalis could determine their own destiny. He sacrificed his life for that cause.

He wrote on his birthday on March 17, 1967, "Today is my 47th birthday. I was born on this day in 1920 in a small village in East Bengal. I have never celebrated my birthday myself - my wife would have given me a small gift on this day. On this day I tried to stay at home. I saw in the newspaper that Dhaka City Awami League is celebrating my birthday. I think it's because I'm in jail.' (Karagarer Roznamcha, pg-209).

I remember the bloodshed of March 17, 1971. It was Bangabandhu's 52nd birthday. The country was engulfed in an unprecedented struggle. After concluding discussions with Yahya Khan, the then President's House, or the old Ganobhavan Sugandha, when he returned to Dhanmondi's House No. 32 in the afternoon, during a closed-door discussion with foreign journalists, one journalist asked Bangabandhu, 'On your 52nd birthday, what is your greatest and most sacred wish?' In his characteristic voice, he replied, 'The complete liberation of the people.'

Later, amidst the journalists' wishes on his birthday, he expressed in a pained voice, 'I do not celebrate birthdays, there are no candles lit for me, no cake cut. In this country, people are not safe. You know the condition of our people. At any moment, they can face death according to others' whims. I am one of the people. My life and death are for the people. I have sacrificed my life for the people.' To convey birthday wishes to the common people, he recited lines from the poem of the poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Mor nam aee bole khayato hok, Ami tomaderi lok’ ('Let my name be famous for this reason, I am one of you.')

The establishment of ‘Bangladesh’ was the cherished dream of Bangabandhu's heart. On the anniversary of Sohrawardi's death on December 5, 1969, he chanted the slogan, 'My country, your country, Bangladesh, Bangladesh.' Everything that has been achieved in the establishment of independent Bangladesh has been under Bangabandhu's guidance. Nelson Mandela once said in 1952, 'One day I will be the President of South Africa.' And Bangabandhu said, 'One day I will make this country independent, but the premiership is insignificant to me.' Inspired by that goal, step by step, he advanced his venerable plan."

During foreign trips with Bangabandhu, I have personally witnessed the respect, devotion, and love shown by foreign leaders towards him. World leaders have acknowledged Bangabandhu's sacrifice.

India's President V.V. Giri, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Soviet Union's Premier Nikolai Podgorny, Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin, Communist Party's General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, British Prime Minister Edward Heath, and Yugoslavia's President Marshal Josip Broz Tito, along with other eminent leaders from around the world, have expressed their respect and devotion to Bangabandhu during various conferences and meetings.

When visiting the Soviet Union, the top four leaders of the country - Podgorny, Kosygin, Brezhnev, and Andrei Gromyko - gathered in the Kremlin to meet him. Brezhnev, embracing Bangabandhu, expressed, 'I am blessed. Today I got the proximity of a great leader like you.'

During his visit to Japan, Emperor Hirohito praised Bangabandhu, saying, 'Truly, you are a great leader in history.' Marshal Tito was one of the prominent world leaders of that time. I have witnessed his deep affection and respect for Bangabandhu up close. At the 1973 Commonwealth Conference, leaders and heads of government from 32 countries attended.

Leadership figures from the African continent such as Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, as well as world-renowned figures like Prime Minister Whitlam of Australia, Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India, President Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, British Prime Minister Edward Heath, President Idi Amin of Uganda, and President Yakubu Gowon of Nigeria were among those who attended the Commonwealth Conference. However, the focal point of attraction was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Journalists were often drawn to Bangabandhu's personality, surrounding him wherever he went. He believed in his people and conveyed that conviction to both the citizens of his country and the global community. Wherever he went, people embraced him with affection. Upon his release from prolonged incarceration in Pakistan's infamous jails and arrival in London, British Prime Minister Edward Heath immediately returned to 10 Downing Street to meet Bangabandhu. Heath embraced him and said, "You are a great leader, and I never thought I would have the opportunity to meet you." This was the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

At every step of his life, Bangabandhu sang the anthem of comprehensive liberation for Bengalis. Bangabandhu dreamed of an independent Bangladesh, for which he spent most of his youth in prison. He sang the victory song of the Bengalis on the gallows, and his love for the Bengali people was boundless. Measuring the depth of the sea or the ocean is possible, but the depth of Bangabandhu's heart, his love, and affection for the Bengal and Bengalis, is immeasurable.

Author: Member, Advisory Council, Bangladesh Awami League; Member of Parliament, Bangladesh National Parliament.