DHAKA: The nation celebrated the 95th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day on Tuesday.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman placing wreaths at his mazar in Tungipara of Gopalganj.

At first, the President and then the Prime Minister laid wreaths at the mazar of Bangabandhu around 10:15am.

A smart contingent drawn from the three services gave guard of honor to the President and the premier at that time.

Sheikh Hasina later attended a children’s rally, discussion and a cultural function at Tungipara, the birth place of Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of the country’s independence.

She also inaugurated a book fair here.

Earlier the day began with hoisting of the national and party flags at 6:30am by ruling Awami League (AL), followed by placing wreaths at Bangabandhu’s portrait at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road-32 at 7:30am.

Different socio-political and cultural organizations including apart from AL and its associated bodies have chalked out elaborate programs to observe the day, which is also the Nation Children Day.

Apart from national programs, children’s gatherings, public rallies, discussions and cultural functions would be organized at district and upazila levels.

Bangladesh missions abroad have chalked out elaborate programs to observe the day.

The day is a public holiday.

National dailies published special supplements. Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and other private TV channels and radio stations aired special programs highlighting the significance of the day.

Besides, special prayers are offered at mosques, temples, churches, pagodas, and all the places of worships across the country on the occasion.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion of the day paying glowing tribute to Bangabandhu, the architect of independent and sovereign Bangladesh.

On this day in 1920, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman affectionately called as “Khoka” was born in a respectable Muslim family at the remote Tungipara village in Gopalganj district. He was the third among four daughters and two sons of his parents, Sheikh Lutfur Rahman and Saira Khatun.

At the age of seven, Sheikh Mujib was admitted to nearby Gimadanga Government Primary School and later he studied in Madaripur Islamia High School, Gopalganj Government Pilot School and Gopalganj Mission School.

While studying at the secondary level he was attacked by beriberi disease and had to undergo treatment in Calcutta. As a result, there was a gap in his studies for few years. After passing the Matriculation examination in 1942, Sheikh Mujib was admitted to Islamia College in Calcutta having residential accommodation in famous Baker Hostel. He passed the BA examinations in 1946.

He was elected general secretary of Islamia College Students' Union. During his Hostel days, when the 'quit India' movement was gaining momentum against the British domination, he came in touch with the legendary politicians like Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy and Abul Hashim. That was also a turning point in his long political career to pursue politics of secularism and patriotism.

After partition of the sub-continent, Sheikh Mujib chose Dhaka as the centre of his political activities and took admission in the Law Department of Dhaka University.

He led all the national movements and played a dominant role in raising the demand for Bangla as the state language of Pakistan in front of its founder Mohammad Ali Zinnah at a function in Dhaka.

The Pakistani rulers imprisoned Sheikh Mujib 18 times and he had to remain in jail for over a decade for leading various national movements since the historic language movement of 1952.

When the Pakistani authority released him from the Agartala Conspiracy Case unconditionally, he turned out to be the absolute leader of East Pakistan. People bestowed him affectionately with the honour-title "Bangabandhu" (friend of Bengal).

As the champion of the nation’s long arduous freedom struggle, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib declared independence of Bangladesh soon after the Pakistani military junta cracked down on the sleeping Bangalees on the fateful night of March 25 in 1971.

The Pakistan military junta took him to Dhaka Cantonment and later imprisoned him in a jail in West Pakistan. Bangabandhu returned to his liberated home (Bangladesh) from Pakistani captivity on January 10, 1972, and he administered the country for three and a half years.

With farsightedness, capability and boldness Bangabandhu administered Bangladesh and presented it as a sovereign and independent country before the international community. But the greatest tragedy is that he was killed along with most of his family members in a military coup on the fateful night of August 15 in 1975.

The Women and Children Affairs Ministry arranged the special foods for destitute to mark the National Children Day.

Kendrio Banganandhu Shishu Kishore Mela also organized a discussion and rally of children at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at city’s Dhanmondi Road No. 32.

BDST: 0635 HRS, MAR 17, 2015/Update: 2145 HRS