Sheikh Hasina Urges Bangladeshis To Observe National Day Of Mourning On Aug 15 After Interim Govt Cancels Public Holiday

Sheikh Hasina has exhorted Bangladeshis to observe the Day of Mourning on August 15, which is a national holiday there to mark the assassination of the nation’s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also her father. (Image: AFP)

Sheikh Hasina in a statement released via her son’s, Sajeeb Wazed, social media account demanded that violent protesters be punished.

Hours after the Bangladesh interim government cancelled the public holiday marking the Day of Mourning on August 15, Sheikh Hasina, the nation’s ousted ex-prime minister on Tuesday exhorted citizens to observe the day as a public holiday.

August 15 is observed as the Day of Mourning in Bangladesh to pay respects to the founding father of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also the father of Sheikh Hasina and was assassinated on that day in 1975 by Bangladesh Army personnel.

Sheikh Hasina issued a statement where she also demanded that people who took part in violence in the recent protests should also be arrested.

“I appeal to you to observe the Day of Mourning on 15th August with due dignity and solemnity,” Hasina said in her statement, released on her son Sajeeb’s X page.

Hasina also recounted how her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his wife and Hasina’s mother Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, Mujibur Rahman’s brother Sheikh Abu Naser, his three sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russel and two daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal Khuki and Parveen Jamal Rosy were killed in the coup d’etat.

She said that she sends condolences to those who have been living with ‘the pain of losing a loved one’ and said she understands how those who lost their loved ones in the recent student quota protests are feeling.

“Since July, many lives have been lost due to vandalism, arson and violence in the name of agitation. Students, teachers, police including female cops, journalists, artists, people from the labour class, Awami League and affiliated organisation leaders, workers, pedestrians and workers in various institutions have died as victims of a terrorist attack, I am praying for their souls,” Hasina said in her statement.

“I demand that those involved in these killings and vandalism be properly investigated and the culprits be identified and punished accordingly,’ the former Bangladesh prime minister demanded.