English for Today

Bangabandhu's Family in 1971

নবম-দশম শ্রেণি (দাখিল) - English for Today - Unit One: Father of the Nation | NCTB BOOK

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It was the night of 25th March, 1971. There was a full of quietness at Bangabandhu's bome at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 throughout the day. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members could apprehend that something tragic was going to happen. Gunshots were heard around the city. Bangabandhu's eldest son Sheikh Kamal was out of home for forming barricades against the Pakistan Army who had been killing people indiscriminately that night. Bangabandhu decided to scad the girls of the family to a safer place for the might and he gave their responsibility to his son in law Mr. Wazed Miah. Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, who was expecting a baby soon along with her sister Sheikh Rehana and her cousin Farida were sent to a house at Road no. 15, Dhanmondi for that night. Bangabandhu's wife Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, stayed with him.
Just before midnight, Bangabandhu sent the declaration of Independence to Mr. Zabur Ahmed Chowdhury at Chattogram via wireless. At the darkest part of that night, the Pakistan Army surrounded his home and started firing at random. The situation agitated Bangabandhu much and he asked them to stop. But, soon he was instructed to get ready to go with them. Begum Mujib packed his necessary belongings. After Bangabandhu left, she was at a loss what to do and where to go with her children. However, being a supportive wife of the great leader all through her life, she soon pulled up her mental strength. But, her anxiety continued till the end of the war.

The next day Begum Mujib had to leave House No. 32 with her children and other members of her home. During the next couple of months, they moved from one shelter to another in search of a safer place. During their stay in those places, some people came forward to helping them while some refused to give them shelter for fear of their own safety. When their provision ran short, Sheikh Kamal, who had already joined the Liberation War, came to them in disguise and delivered some money. Some very close people also supported the family with money and food stuff.

So far the family members were ignorant about Bangabandhu's condition. Suddenly they came to know that he was alive and had been taken to Pakistan. Begum Mujib started to keep contact with Awami League leaders. But soon the family was taken to Dhanmondi, House No. 18 by the Pakistan Army and kept under house arrest. However, people would come to their home with valuable information in disguise of vendors; also some would throw pieces of waste paper with important information written on them.
In the month of May, the same year, Pakistan Army set fire to Bangabandhu's Tungipara home in front of his parents. A young man from the village protested the evil deed and was shot dead. Both the parents of Bangabandhu fell ill in October and were admitted to the PG Hospital. Begum Mujib and her family were allowed to visit them two or three times a week for one hour. However, that created the opportunity for them to establish a better communication with the freedom fighters.
Begum Mujib was extremely worried about her children, especially her daughter Sheikh Hasina, because of her health condition. However, she was not allowed by the Pakistani rulers to be with her daughter, when she was admitted to hospital. Mr. Wazed Miah and Bangabandhu's second son Sheikh Jamal accompanied Sheikh Hasina to the hospital. Bangabandhu's youngest sister, pretending to be a hospital attendant, entered the hospital and looked after her niece. Sheikh Hasina was blessed with a baby boy on 27 July who was later named Sajeeb Wazed Joy. As the Pakistan Army often used to threaten Sheikh Jamal that they would hang him upside down, he, finding an opportunity, fled from the hospital and joined the freedom fighters.

Finally the Victory day arrived! There was joy everywhere! But, Bangabandhu's family was yet to be freed from captivity. The Pakistani occupational forces were still cordoning Bangabandhu's house and firing at people rushing over there chanting Joy Bangla', the invigorating slogan of the Bangalees. But they fled the next morning when the Indian Army came to rescue the family. Sheikh Jamal returned home in the afternoon while Sheikh Kamal returned home the next day. Nevertheless, the biggest anxiety of the family persisted- Bangabandhu was yet to be released from Pakistani prison and they didn't know when that great moment would arrive and how.

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