Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib sacrificed her personal desires and demands in many ways to create a scope for Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to fully work for the country.“Nothing can be bigger than sacrificing one’s personal desires and demands. My mother set that example,” she said while addressing a programme arranged to celebrate the 90th birth anniversary of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
The Prime Minister joined the virtual programme from her official residence Ganobhaban, while other participants got connected from Bangladesh Shishu Academy and Gopalganj.
Mentioning that Bangamata had no personal demand and never annoyed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with family matters, she said, “So, my father had got the scope to fully work for the country.”
Sheikh Hasina urged the womenfolk of the country to follow the ideology of Bangamata to build a family, an organisation and the country as nice ones.
Recalling the role of Bangamata in the country’s independence, she said Bangamata had taken the right decisions in various critical times in politics.
“When a matter of taking a tough decision came in politics on various occasions, it’s very sad to say many of our senior and experienced leaders had failed to take the right decisions or about to take wrong decisions. My mother had taken the right decisions at the right time. Alongside dealing with family affairs, Bangamata used to take care of the families of the detained and ailing leaders, and arrange their treatment,” said the PM.
Hasina said her mother used to guide the organisation (AL) with competence (particularly when Bangabandhu was in jail) and give the right decisions.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned her role, particularly in three historical events, saying that Bangamata asked Bangabandhu to turn down his parole granted by Pakistani rulers to join the discussion in Pakistan in the late 1960s after Bangabandhu had been arrested in the Agartala “Conspiracy” Case.
“If my father had gone there on parole, you could understand what would have been the fate of the others (33) detained accused (of the Agartala Conspiracy Case). But my mother had taken the decision, risking the life. Since we had taken the right decision, the case was withdrawn and the political history of Bangladesh changed,” she added.
During the 1970 general election, her mother supported her father’s decision for joining the election, though many leaders were against the participation in the polls, the Prime Minister mentioned.
She said her mother also played a big role in persuading Bangabandhu in delivering the speech with whatever comes from his mind on the historic 7th March, 1971.
Sheikh Hasina, also the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, said attempts were made to implicate her mother in the Agartala “Conspiracy” case and even she was quizzed by the Pakistani intelligence on several occasions about it.
She said her mother played a big role in creating public opinion, organizing the party, waging movements, particularly the movement of students and workers during the Agartala “Conspiracy” Case and after the Six-Point Demand. “She was very competent in waging any movement and struggle,” Hasina added.
The Prime Minister said Bangamata sacrificed her life rightly nurturing the ideology of the Father of Nation.
Reiterating that her mother always led a simple life, Hasina said Bangamata never boasted of being the wife of the Prime Minister. “She herself cooked food despite being the Prime Minister’s wife and her cooked food items were very tasty.”
Bangamata never lived in the official residence of the Prime Minister as she never wanted her children to be habituated to a lavish life. “She never had any demand,” Hasina said.
Matia Chowdhury, MP presented the keynote paper at the function focusing on the life and works of Bangamata, held with State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira, MP, in the chair.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women and Children Affairs Ministry Meher Afroze and Women and Children Affairs Secretary Kazi Rowshan Akhter also spoke on the occasion.
At the function, a documentary was screened highlighting the life and works of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
The state minister, in her speech, said the day is being celebrated in all districts and Bangladeshi missions abroad across the world for the first time.
On behalf of the Prime Minister, Deputy Commissioner of Gopalganj Shahida Sultana distributed sewing machines among insolvent women and laptops among meritorious students in addition to providing cash to destitute women through mobile banking channel in the ancestral district of Bangamata.
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Bangamata, some 3,200 sewing machines and 100 laptops were distributed as well as cash support was provided to 1,300 destitute women. – UNB
