DHAKA: The nation paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Friday on the occasion of the National Mourning Day.

On the night of August 15 in 1975, some disgruntled and over ambitious army officers assassinated Bangabandhu and most of his family members at his Dhanmondi Road-32 Residence in the capital.

Some 18 members of Bangabandhu’s family and his close ones, including his wife Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russell, were brutally killed on the August 15 night.

However, both the daughters of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, escaped the carnage as they were abroad.

The day was a public holiday.

Marking the day, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages.

They recalled Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s long and eventful political career and his immense contributions and dedication to the independent and sovereign Bangladesh with gratitude.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also founding president of Bangladesh, at Tungipara of Goplaganj on the National Mourning Day.

Awami League advisory council members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofael Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupa, Abdul Latif Siddiuie, Begum Motia Chudhury, PM’s energy advisor HT Imam, Al general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, among others, accompanied the premier there.

Quran recitation and offering munajat were held seeking eternal salvation to the departed soul of Bangabandhu.

Later, speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury paid tributes at Bangabandhu’s grave. Awami League also placed wreaths there.

The national dailies and online news portals published special write-ups while television channels and radios telecast and broadcast special programs highlighting the simple life of Bangabandhu, his affection and care for his people and immense contributions to the nation.

The programme of the day began with the hoisting of National Flag at half-mast and raising of black flags atop of all public and private buildings, including Bangabandhu Bhaban in the morning to mark the martyrs of August 15 carnage.

Hundreds of people from all walks of life, wearing black badges, visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the morning and paid profound homage to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait.

Special prayers also were offered seeking divine blessings for eternal peace of the souls of the martyrs of August 15 carnage.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 6:30am.

Besides, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at the Mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj district at 10:00am.

Besides, Awami League organized a discussion meeting at city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at 2:30 pm on August 16 (Saturday).

Other programmes of the day were including of discussions, poetry recitation session, child-juvenile painting competition, photographic exhibition and hamd and nat competition.

Bangladesh missions abroad also observed the National Mourning Day in a befitting manner.

BDST: 2202 HRS, AUG 15, 2014