Awami League coordinator Rakibul Islam Minto yesterday said the celebration is very significant to Bangladeshi because it marks the death of their first president who was their leader against the ethnic and institutional discrimination of Bengalis when they were still known as East Pakistan.
Rahman was killed on Aug. 15, 1975 in a military coup but his achievements will remain in the hearts of his people, Minto said.
He said their group will host their annual gathering at the Garapan mosque at 8:30 p.m.
“We are inviting everyone to join us in prayer for the departed soul of Mujibur Rahman,” Minto said, adding that they are expecting at less 200 members of the Bangladeshi community to participate.
Food will be served during the occasion, he said.
Minto said Rahman fought to stop intense poverty, unemployment and rampant corruption in their nation.
But after only seven months in office, Rahman was assassinated along with his family by a group of army officers, Minto said.
Rahman helped found the Awami League to fight for East Pakistan’s autonomy.
His political stance led to his imprisonment, but also brought him immense popular support.
The conflict between East and West Pakistan climaxed after the Dec. 1970, elections, in which the Awami League won a majority of the parliamentary seats.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, leader of West Pakistan, refused to agree the East’s demands for autonomy, and Rahman was imprisoned in West Pakistan.
On March 1971, a civil war broke out when Pakistani troops were sent to put down protests in East Pakistan.
With the aid of India, East Pakistani guerrillas proclaimed an independent Bangladesh, and defeated the Pakistani army in late 1971.
Rahman was released in early 1972, became prime minister of Bangladesh, and worked toward normalizing relations with Pakistan.
