August 15, 1975: The darkest dawn of Bangladesh

Just before dawn on August 15, 1975 when Dhaka dwellers were in deep sleep, something horrific had happened at Road 32 of Dhanmandi. When they came to know they could not believe that their greatest leader, architect of Bangladesh’s independence and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed along with his family members.

A group of mid-ranking army officials committed this heinous crime, which is rare in modern history. Even 10-year-old Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was not spared. Everybody staying in Bangabandhu’s residence that night was brutally murdered.

They killed Bangabandhu, his wife Sheikh Fazilatunnessa, eldest son Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, youngest son Sheikh Russell, Sheikh Kamal’s wife Sultana Kamal, Jamal’s wife Rosy Jamal and brother of Bangabandhu Sheikh Naser. The list did not end here.

Unruly army personnel killed Colonel Jamil, army soldier Syed Mahbubul Haque and an SB officer Siddikur Rahman. Simultaneously they attacked the house of Bangabandhu’s nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni and killed him along with his pregnant wife Arju Moni. Another group went to the residence of Abdur Rab Serniabat, brother-in-law of Bangabandhu, and killed him and his daughter Baby, son Arif Serniabat, grandson Sukanta, son of Serniabat’s elder brother Sajib Serniabat and one relative Bentu Khan.

They had thought that they would be able to erase Bangabandhu’s name and his ideology with the killing. Bangabandhu might have been killed physically but his soul and ideology remain immortal.

More shockingly, the killers, some of them confessed publicly, were awarded instead of punishment. To prevent murder trial, the infamous ‘Indemnity Ordnance’ was enacted by the then Khondokar Mushtaq government.

On June 8, 1976, of the killers, 12 of them were given jobs at different embassies and high commissions around the world.

In 1996, after a period of 21 years, when Bangabandhu’s eldest daughter Sheikh Hasina came to power, this ‘Indemnity Ordnance’ was annulled to pave the way for the trial of the killers. After losing power to the BNP-led alliance in 2001, attempts were made to keep away from executing the sentences. When Sheikh Hasina came back to power in 2009, the judgment was accomplished and five of the killers were executed on January 27, 2010. Still, some of the convicted murderers are hiding in some countries.

The government has been continuing diplomatic efforts for long to bring back the killers and give them the punishment they deserve.