Today is10th January. Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, the architect of Bangladesh. On this day in 1972, Bangabandhu set foot on the soil of blood-soaked independent-sovereign Bangladesh after being released from captivity in Pakistan. And through this the great victory of the Bengalis is fulfilled. Bangabandhu himself described his return to his homeland as a ‘journey from darkness to light’.
Thereafter, every year the grateful Bengali nation celebrates Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day with various arrangements. There is a festive mood in Bangladesh in this day.
On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani invaders arrested Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the undisputed leader of the Bengalis, from Dhaka. He was imprisoned in a Pakistani jail. While the Bengalis were fighting for independence, Bangabandhu was on death row as a convict in a Pakistani jail. Bangabandhu was subjected to inhuman torture in prison where he was sentenced to death in a mock trial and Bangabandhu was counting the moments until the execution.
After the final victory of the Bengalis on 16 December 1971, the world leaders became vocal in demanding the release of Bangabandhu. The Pakistani regime, defeated by international pressure, was finally forced to honorably release Bangabandhu from captivity. He arrived in Dhaka on 10 January 1972 via London-Delhi after 290 days of death count in every moment in Pakistani jails.
The whole Bengali nation was waiting breathlessly when their beloved leader, the great architect of independent Bengal, would come to the land of an independent country. People from all over the country seemed to have gathered at the Dhaka airport area. The road from the airport to the historic Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) was crowded.
Bangabandhu became emotional as soon as he set foot on the soil of independent Bangladesh. He broke down in tears after hearing the news of the genocide of the Pak aggressors and their local allies for 9 long months.
On that day, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib announced to millions of people at Suhrawardy Udyan,”Even with blood, I will repay the debt of love of the Bengali nation.” The father of the nation has spoken. He had to give his life at the hands of a class of cowardly traitors called Bengalis in an independent country, who could not even dare to scratch his body by the violent Pak aggressors.
On 15 August 1975, Bangabandhu left his words by pouring fresh blood on his chest with his family.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have given separate statements on the occasion of Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day. The day will be solemnly celebrated by various political-socio-cultural organizations including Bangabandhu’s political party Awami League. On this day, the whole nation will pay homage to Bangabandhu through various programs.
