Staff correspondent :

The 93rd birth anniversary of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was observed today in a befitting manner across the country.

Awami League (AL) and its associate bodies chalked out elaborate programmes marking the birth anniversary of Begum Mujib.

Glowing tributes were paid to Bangamata by placing wreaths on her grave at Banani graveyard in the city on behalf of AL this morning. Quran khawani, milad and doa mahfil were held there seeking eternal peace of her departed soul.

On behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader placed a wreath on the grave of Bangamata at Banani graveyard.

Later, Obaidul Quader along with senior leaders of his party laid another wreath on the grave on behalf of AL.

AL Presidium Members Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, BM Mozammel Haque and Afzal Hossain, Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan and Central Working Committee members Shahabuddin Farazi and Anwar Hossain were present, among others.

Later, Dhaka North and South City units of Awami League, Awami Jubo League, Bangladesh Awami Swechchhasebak League, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Jatiya Sramik League, Tati League, Krishak League, Mahila Awami League and Jubo Mahila League paid respects to Bangamata by placing wreaths on her grave.

Mayors of Dhaka North and South City Corporations, Dhaka North and South City units of Jubo League, Dhaka City units of BCL, Dhaka University unit of BCL, Dhaka College unit of BCL, Titumir College unit of BCL, and leaders and workers of various organisations also paid floral tributes to Bangamata.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor laid wreaths on her grave.

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs organized Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Padak-2023 giving ceremony in the city’s Osmani Memorial auditorium marking the birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Padak-2023 to four prominent women and the national women’s football team at the function.

Apart from the national women football team for sports, the four other women award recipients are- Advocate Sahara Khatun (Posthumous) in politics as well as Nasima Jaman Bobi and Anima Mukti Gomes in education, culture and sports while Dr Senjuti Saha in research.

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nesa Indira chaired the function while Women and Children Affairs Secretary Nazma Mobarek delivered the welcome address.

Dr Tania Huq, Professor at the department of Women and Gender Studies of University of Dhaka, made keynote presentation based on the life and works of Bangamata, while Jatiyo Mohila Sangstha Chairman Begum Chemon Ara Tayab took part in it as discussant.

At the outset, an audio-visual documentary on the life and works of Bangamata was screened.

In order to commemorate Bangamata’s contribution, maximum five women are awarded every year in recognition of their contribution to eight fields.

In the function, the premier also inaugurated the financial donation and sewing machine distribution program. A total of 4,500 sewing machines are being distributed in 64 districts while Taka 2,000 is being given among 3,000 destitute women.

Awami Swechchhasebak League arranged a discussion marking the birth anniversary at the historic Bangabandhu Bhaban Dhanmondi-32 here in the morning.

Swechchhasebak League President Gazi Mesbahul Hossain Sacchu presided over the meeting while its General Secretary Afzalur Rahman Babu moderated it.

Dainik Bhorer Kagoj editor and Jatiya Press Club general secretary Shyamal Dutta, Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naem Nizam, Swechchhasebak League vice-presidents – M Abdur Razzak and Tanvir Shakil Joy, MP, Swechchhasebak League Joint General Secretary Khairul Hassain Juel, Dhaka City North President Ishak Mia and Dhaka City South President Kamrul Hassain Ripon, among others, spoke in the meeting.

A doa and munajat was offered at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque seeking eternal peace of Begum Mujib’s soul.

Special prayers were offered at Islamic Foundation’s all offices including Agargaon’s head office in the capital as well as at model mosques, Islamic missions and imam training academies and Darul Arkam Ibtedayi madrasahs across the country.

Bangamata, also known by her nick name Renu, was born on August 8 in 1930 at Tungipara village in Gopalganj. She was a paternal cousin of her husband Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Renu was only 8 years old when she was married to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who himself was just 18, in 1938.

Bangabandhu wrote in his autobiography “The Unfinished Memoirs” that Renu’s mother died when she was five. Only her grandfather remained. He, too, died when Renu was just seven years old. Then, she grew up with Bangabandhu’s siblings.

When Bangabandhu was just 13, he was betrothed to her. After Renu’s father died, her grandfather called Bangabandhu’s father and said, “I have to marry off one of my granddaughters to your eldest son because I will leave all my property to them.” Renu’s grandfather was Bangabandhu’s paternal uncle.

Bangabandhu wrote, when their marriage was fixed, he was a teenager. “I heard I got married. I did not understand anything then.”

Their wedding took place in 1938. Their family life started after Bangabandhu passed the entrance exam in 1942. That year he got admitted to Islamia College, Kolkata. His political career began there.

Bangamata was killed brutally along with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members at the fateful night of August 15 in 1975.

Fazilatunnesa Mujib was under house arrest during Bangladesh Liberation War until December 17, 1971.

She was born to the Bengali Muslim Sheikh family in the village of Tungipara, Gopalganj.

Her father’s name was Sheikh Zahurul Haque and her mother’s name was Sheikh Husne Ara Begum.

She was of Iraqi Arab ancestry on both sides of family, her paternal grandfather Kashem Sheikh, was grandson of Sheikh Ekramullah, who was in turn descended from Sheikh Awwal Darwish of Baghdad, a dervish who had come to preach Islam in Bengal during the time of the later Mughal era of Bengal.

Her father, Sheikh Zahurul Haque, and mother, Husne Ara Begum, died when she was three years old.

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