Dhaka Bureau: After the assassination of Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, depicting his life in exile in Delhi and London, said that when I was in Delhi, Ziaur Rahman wanted to meet me, and his wife also wanted to meet me, but I did not meet him. I still wanted to meet when I was in London, but we didn’t.
He said this at a function organized at Ganobhaban on the occasion of Sheikh Hasina’s 44th Homecoming Day on Friday. On the occasion, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, led by the central leaders of the party, greeted him with flowers. After that, party associates and leaders of fraternal organizations greeted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with flowers.
After the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he returned to the country on May 17, 1981, after a long period of exile abroad. Since then, Sheikh Hasina has been leading Bangladesh’s oldest political party, the Awami League, formed by Bangabandhu, for more than four decades. Since then, President Sheikh Hasina’s Homecoming Day has been celebrated on May 17.
Sheikh Hasina gave a speech to the leaders and activists, highlighting his life in exile, his return to the country, and the subsequent events. Narrating the incident of going abroad before August 15, 1975, the Prime Minister said, “I had hoped that we would come back very soon.” But that return did not happen.
Regarding being elected president of the Awami League, Sheikh Hasina said, I did not know that I would be given such a big responsibility. I never thought of it.
Sheikh Hasina said that she could not attend the wedding of her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, but when she had a baby, Mrs. Gandhi came to power again. She made all the arrangements, and I went. After that, I came back to Delhi again. Then Awami League leader Mahbubur Rahman called me from London and said that you had been elected as the president of the party. I told him, I don’t want to be the president of the Awami League; why should I? The Awami League has many leaders.
Describing the incident of May 17, 1981, Sheikh Hasina said that ordinary people went there on that day with storms and rain in their heads. Manik gave a speech on Mia Avenue. The biggest thing is that when I went, Kamal, Jamal, Rosy, and Khuki were all at the airport. When I came back, thousands of people were dead, but I found rows of graves in Banani.
He said we wanted to read Milad at number 32, but Ziaur Rahman did not let me in. On the contrary, he said that he would give a house, a car, everything. I said, I will not take anything from him. I can’t take anything from a murderer. When I came, they wouldn’t let me enter number 32; on the contrary, the houses and cars would be blocked. That’s not acceptable to me.
Sheikh Hasina said that she did not know where she would stay when she returned to the country and said, “I have left with only my clothes, two suitcases, and a doll (the Saima Wazed doll). Then the journey begins. I have tried to organize thousands of Awami League leaders and activists.
