Ideology behind Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s assassination still active, says new book

The actual truth about the conspiracy behind the killing of Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rehman), founder of Bangladesh is a fact that is wrapped in mystery until date. However, it is also certain that Pakistan Army-ISI and their collaborators in Bangladesh were behind the August 15 massacre that virtually wiped off Bangabandhu and his family. The killers remained at large for many years and decades until PM Sheikh Hasina launched a mission to execute these assassins. These assassins and their mentors represented exactly the opposite of what Bangabandhu stood for and what Bangladesh stands for.

Putting forward the actual truth behind the conspiracy is important for healing the wounds of the people that is still fresh in many minds even after 45 years of the incident. People perceive the incident as an attack on the core foundational values of the country and its liberation. In 1971, Bangladesh fought for liberation from Pakistan for values including democracy, secularism and prosperity of the people. Bangabandhu represented the spirit and people’s aspirations for liberation.

The death of Bangabandhu changed the course of politics of the country. Soon after the assassination of Bangabandhu, military took over the reins of the country and continued in power for 15 years, giving democratic process an unexpected halt within the country. Also, the regime distorted some of the core values of liberation. Secularism, which was one of the core pillars of the constitution — adopted just after independence in 1972, was abandoned.

The regime encouraged growth of the religious parties in the politics of the country and allowed parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, notorious for opposing the country’s independence and torturing the people in alliance with the Pakistani army in 1971 War, to join politics. The regime also altered the foreign policy roadmap enunciated by Bangabandhu and distanced the country from India, the country which Bangabandhu recognised as a friend and emphasised on maintaining a special relationship. India had given diplomatic and military support to the country’s freedom struggle and its army fought on the side of the freedom fighters in the 1971 war.

It is also an irony that the military regime instead of punishing the killers of Bangabandhu rewarded them with lucrative positions in the civil administration after they left the army. Many of the conspirators were given postings in foreign missions in countries including Libya, China, Zimbabwe and Canada.

All these unfortunate events and developments as well as the designs of Pak Army-ISI and their supporters in Bangladesh who assassinated Bangabandhu and his family members have been poignantly brought out in a recent book titled ‘Assassins of Bangladesh’ by Mohshin Habib, a well known Dhaka-based journalist and author.

This book by Habib (head of editorial & literature sections of The Daily Ittefaq, a leading Bangla daily of Bangladesh) is timely
on the occasion of his birth centenary this year and 50th anniversary of creation of Bangladesh as the ideology which eliminated Mujibur Rehman, pushed the country towards military rule, religious toxicity and cast shadow on Indo-Bangla ties are still very much active waiting for opportune moment to strike.

The book will sensitise the world at large about the necessity to fight radical ideology and uphold secularism and pluralism by exposing conspiracy behind Mujib killing and their killers and mentors.