Mujibnagar Day: There is no formality in Mujibnagar

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Today 17th April is historical Mujibnagar Day. On this day in 1971, the first provisional government of independent Bangladesh was sworn in at Amrakanan in Baidyanathala, Meherpur. Later this Baidyanathala was named Mujibnagar. There is no official program in that Mujibnagar on this significant day in the history of Bengali freedom struggle.

Officials of the administration said that no official instructions have been received till yesterday Thursday regarding the organization of the program there.

A resident of Bhaberpara in Mujibnagar Upazila and manager of a local hospital, Baram Biswas told Prothom Alo that every year on this day, central and local political leaders and high-ranking officials of the government lay wreaths at the Mujibnagar memorial. Parades and discussion meetings were organized. But this year till now no work of construction of pandal has been seen officially.

Mujibnagar Memorial was inaugurated on 17 April 1987. In 1996, an initiative was taken to establish a Liberation War Memorial Complex there. Different sectors of the Liberation War are represented through a map in the memorial complex. A mural commemorating the events of the Liberation War was installed in the complex.

After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, the memorial complex in Mujibnagar was attacked and the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was demolished. 300 small and large sculptures were vandalized. The sculptures were once the main tourist attraction.

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Abdullah Al Amin, vice-principal of Meherpur’s Government Women’s College, said, “The government should have celebrated the Mujibnagar Day.” It would pave the way for liberal political practices.

Sources of Mujibnagar Upazila administration informed that it was not possible to prepare any kind of decorations or events due to the lack of government instructions. Because of this, Amrakanan and the memorial area are now very quiet.

The vibrancy that surrounds the day, its absence this time has seen some disappointment among the local people. Brave freedom fighter Ansar ul Haque told Prothom Alo that there will be differences of opinion and ideology in the country, this is a multi-party political practice. The previous fascist Awami League government made a one-sided political settlement in the country. The current government follows the path of multi-party democracy. For this reason, the history of the liberation war should be preserved. There was no obstacle to celebrate Mujibnagar Day.

When asked about it, Deputy Commissioner Shilpi Rani Roy told Prothom Alo, “No instructions have come from the ministry about Mujibnagar Day yet. We are waiting for guidance.