The 49th death anniversary of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, founding president of the Awami Muslim League, will be observed in the country on Monday. He died on this day in 1976 while undergoing treatment at PG Hospital in Dhaka (now Bangladesh Medical University) and was later laid to rest at Santosh in Tangail.
To observe the day, Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU), BNP and various political parties, educational institutions and organizations have chalked out different programmes. A seven-day Bhashani Fair is also being held at Santos, which has already drawn a huge crowd.
From early Monday, people in their thousands will throng the mausoleum to pay homage to the leader of the oppressed. Leaders and activists of BNP and other political, and sociocultural organizations will place floral wreaths, while devotees, followers and disciples of Bhashani have already started arriving in Santosh.
Born on 12 December 1880 at Dhangora in Sirajganj, Bhashani spent most of his life in Santosh. A towering political figure, he led peasant and anti-oppression movements, founded the Awami Muslim League in 1949, later formed the National Awami Party (NAP), opposed Ayub Khan’s regime, and played a significant role before and during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
After independence, he continued to speak for the poor, famously initiating the Farakka Long March and countrywide hunger processions, earning respect as a leader of the downtrodden.
