Sumi Khan
Bangladesh marks the 91st birth anniversary of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Renu, ‘Bangamata’ mother of the nation. My heartfelt regards for Bangamata.
Bangamata’ Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, who provided unwavering support to the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in his political and nation-building pursuits. She was a mentor to many political leaders and a role model of empowered women.
Bangamata’ Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Renu, wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of Bangladesh, was assassinated by a handful of army renegades as part of a larger national and international political conspiracy hatched by anti-liberation forces in the pre-dawn hours of August 15, 1975.The killers murdered in cold blood every member of his family except his daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who by fortune alone were abroad at that time.
Following the Liberation War, Bangamata played a key role in taking care of the ‘Birangana’ more than 3 million women, brutally tortured and raped by the Pakistan Army and their newborn war children.
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have delivered separate messages to mark this day. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu could only become the great leader he did because of Renu was beside him.
"Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib became ‘Bangamata’ only because of her sacrifice, compassion, cooperation, and prudence," said President Abdul Hamid in his message. In another message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangamata played a unique role in bringing motivation, strength, and courage for Bangabandhu to guide the struggle of independence and Liberation War towards its right direction besides carrying out family responsibilities. She said the nation has genuinely bestowed the ‘Bangamata’ title on Fazilatunnesa Mujib because of her unparalleled sacrifice, cooperation, and prudence.
On this day in 1930, Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib was born to a noble Muslim family in Tungipara village of the then-Gopalganj subdivision of Faridpur.
Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, a mentor to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1946 warned the young leader not to neglect his wife as “she was a precious gift from God. “Bangabandhu always shared Renu before making any major political decisions, as he valued her advice extremely highly, said her eldest daughter, Sheikh Hasina. She also mentioned, “Everyone obeyed our mother. In our house, her word was the last word.”
Bangamata, a bold lady also played a key role during the Agartala conspiracy case by the Pakistan government. Despite the pressure of the Pakistan Army, Renu sent a message to the imprisoned Bangabandhu warning him not to accept the proposal to leave jail on parole to attend the Round Table Conference with Yahya Khan in Rawalpindi in early 1969. She also mentioned, “If you accept parole, there is no need for you to come to my house.”
Bangabandhu rejected the parole offer and the Pakistan government was later forced to free him unconditionally. During that time, Bangamata boldly told Bangabandhu.
Bangamata only wore a Katan saree when then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Bangladesh on her first and last official tour in Bangladesh in March 1972. She received Indira Gandhi with a box of the Bittle leaves, “Paner Bata” is like a simple and typical Bengali woman. Bangabandhu joked her, “You didn’t forget to carry that here, on this occasion!”
She was full of humour. Once she joked with Dr. Nilima Ibrahim, “You people made your brother (Bangobondhu) as a friend calling ‘Bangabandhu’ and made me ‘Bangamata’. Why not friend, saying Bangabandhobi? Am I too old to be a friend of you?”
The legendary couple started their life together and was brutally killed on the same day by the killer as a plan of the conspirators. Bangamata and Bangabandhu would become the happy parents of two daughters and three sons, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, and Sheikh Russel. Bangabandhu in “The Unfinished Memoirs” wrote, Bangamata has given a diary to him and said, “Please write here your daily issues.”
Bangabandhu mentioned, she remained a key source of encouragement, strength, and courage for Bangabandhu throughout his life and endless hardship. She was not only a witness to the major events of Bangabandhu's life but also his closest confidante.
Bangabandhu also wrote, “When I got married, I must have been around thirteen years old. After Renu's father died, her grandfather called my father and said, 'You will have to marry off your elder son to one of my granddaughters. This is because I intend to bequeath all my property to my two granddaughters.'“Renu's grandfather was my father's uncle and I had to marry her because of my father's command. Renu herself was three years old then; she was raised with my siblings,” he added. Bangabandhu has spent around 13 years of his 55 years old age behind bars for his struggle to free the motherland from the brutality of Pakistan. During such difficulties, Fazilatunnesa Mujib took care of the family single-handedly and acted as a bridge between the Awami League and the incarcerated Bangabandhu.
She was under house -arrest imposed on her and her family by the Pakistani military intelligence until December 17, 1971, the day following the liberation of the country.
Courageous and possessed of infallible ethics, Bangamata told the Pakistani soldiers that she would pay a monthly rent during her house arrest. She never missed making a payment.
During the liberation movement in support of the Six-Point demand, Bangabandhu was in jail and several meetings were held at their resident Dhanmondi 32.
Some leaders called for eight points instead of six, but Bangamata stood firm. “Before going to jail, he told me only about six points, so there will be no additional points,” he told the leaders.
Even she played a key role in the construction of Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi Road 32. The Bangabandhu family acquired the land during the period of the Suhrawardy government in the 1950s, and she even took part in the physical construction of the house not only to save on labour costs, besides to involve children with the construction work of the house.