Events have changed rapidly in the last few weeks in the neighboring country Bangladesh. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned after the coup, is currently in India. A new interim government has been formed in Bangladesh. But meanwhile, many parties have requested the interim government that August 15 should no longer be celebrated as national mourning day.
Several political parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami met the new head of Bangladesh government, Muhammad Yunus. During this, many issues ranging from conducting fair elections in the country were discussed.
Parties like BNP, Jamaat, Amar Bangladesh Party including Gun Adhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiya Party and National Democratic Movement held separate meetings with Muhammad Yunus. During this, these parties urged the interim government that now August 15 should not be celebrated as national mourning day.
Sources present in this meeting said that all the parties believed that celebrating August 15 as national mourning day should be stopped now. Also, there is no need for public holiday on this day. However, no decision has been taken on this yet.
AB Party convenor Soleiman Chaudhary, who was present in this meeting, said that the National Mourning Day is against the spirit of the Declaration of Independence. Party member Asadjuman Fouad said that there is no public holiday in these countries in memory of America’s founder Abraham Lincoln and Britain’s Winston Churchill. Similarly, there is no need for public holiday on 15th August in Bangladesh also. We know that Awami League has tried to turn the month of August into a month of mourning for us but we have liberated the country. Now there is a need to end public holidays on this day.
BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who led the eight-member delegation in this meeting, said that we have given adequate time to this interim government to create a favorable environment for conducting fair elections in the country. However, during this period there was no discussion on when the elections should be held.
Sources associated with BNP said that the party has requested the Chief Advisor to the government to withdraw all the cases registered against their party chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tariq Rehman.
Why is August 15 a national mourning day in Bangladesh?
In Bangladesh, 15 August is celebrated every year as National Mourning Day. This is because on this day in 1975, Sheikh Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was murdered along with his family. He was the founder of Bangladesh. On August 15, 1975, army officers surrounded his house from all sides and opened fire and killed him. Since then, 15 August is celebrated as National Mourning Day in Bangladesh.