The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The nation celebrates today the historic 36th anniversary of home coming of father of the nation Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from captivity in Pakistan.

On January 10 in 1972 Bangabandhu returned to free Bangladesh via London and

New Delhi after his release from jail in Pakistan, where he had remained captive throughout the duration of the Liberation War of 1971.

He was flown to London on release from captivity following the emergence of sovereign Bangladesh after nine months of the Liberation War in which occupation forces of Pakistan were defeated on the soil of Bangladesh.

The Pakistan occupation army took him captive on the midnight of March 25, 1971, shortly after crackdown on unarmed Bangalis sparking the War of Liberation.

Bangabandhu, though in captivity, inspired the nation to fight the occupation army of Pakistan to liberate the dear motherland.

Pakistan's military dictator General A M Yahya Khan refused to hand over power to Awami League though it had, led by Bangabandhu, won a landslide victory in the 1970 general elections.

On March 7, 1971, from a mammoth public meeting at Suhrawardy Uddan, Bangabandhu called for fighting with whatever one had, following military dictator Yahya's announcement on March 1, refusing to hand over responsibility of governance to the just elected majority party in parliament.

To celebrate January 10, 1972, the day Bangabandu returned to free Bantgladesh from captivity, Bangladesh Awami League (AL) has taken programmes, which would begin with hoisting of national flag at its central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban and party offices across the country early in the morning.

Party leaders, workers and admirers will lay wreaths on Bangabandhu's portrait at Bangabandhu Bhaban at 8 a m.

Awami League will host a discussion on the great leader's life, struggles and achievements at the auditorium of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) at 3 pm.

Wreaths will be placed at Bangabandhu's mazar at Tungipara, his village home, by streams of admirers besides, by a team of AL leaders from Dhaka comprising Abdur Razzak, Mukul Bose, Faruk Khan and Habibur Rahman Siraj.

AL acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam requested the party committees throughout Bangladesh to celebrate the day by organising discussions, doa and milad mehfils.

He requested the people from different walks of life to attend the discussion at IEB.