‘Mujibnagar govt played historic role in freedom struggle of Bangladesh’

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran on Friday highlighted the significance of the historic Mujibnagar Day that falls on April 17 and said the Mujibnagar government played a historic role in the freedom struggle of Bangladesh.

"As an independent nation, we're forever indebted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the greatest Bengali nation of all time," he said.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi observed the day in advance on Friday with due dignity, reports UNB.

To mark the Day, the High Commission organised a discussion meeting at Bangabandhu Hall of the Chancery in the afternoon with the High Commissioner in chair.

High Commissioner Imran paid tributes to Bangabandhu, the greatest Bengali of all times, the four national leaders, Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman.

On this day in 1971, the first government of independent Bangladesh was sworn-in at Baidyanathtala (Mujibnagar) in now Meherpur district naming Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the president, Syed Nazrul Islam as vice-president and Tajuddin Ahmed as the prime minister.

Syed Nazrul was made acting president in the absence of Bangabandhu who was arrested and kept in a West Pakistan prison.

The significance of the role the provisional government of Bangladesh played in leading the nine-month War of Liberation and mobilising international opinion and support was discussed at a meeting held at the mission.

The Mujibnagar Day messages of President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were read out respectively.

A special prayer was offered for the progress and development of the country.